Court convicts Yemen Observer [Archives:2006/1005/Local News]

SANA'A, Dec. 6 – The Capital's South West Court convicted the Yemen Observer newspaper for republishing the Danish Prophet Mohammed cartoons.

The court fined Mohammed Al-Asadi, Yemen Observer's Managing Editor, YR 500,000.

Reacting to the ruling, Al-Asadi considered it to be invalid and said they will appeal.

The court also ordered Al-Asadi to be jailed until the fine is paid. Mohammed Naji Alaw, Yemen Observer's lawyer, said the ruling was not just and they will appeal it.

On Nov. 25 the same court sentenced Al-Rai Al-Am's chief editor to one year in prison and suspended the paper for a year.

For his part, Nasr Taha Mustafa, chairman of journalists syndicate, denounced the ruling and said the court had to look into the defense wrote about the prophet, rather than cartoons.

He also expressed his sorrow for the judgment, particularly when the state intends to abolish journalist imprisonment.
——
[archive-e:1005-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-12-07-p:ln]