HR Minister: US report partial [Archives:2005/830/Front Page]

Mohammed bin Sallam
Minister of Human Rights Mrs. Amatalaleem al-Soswa held last Tuesday a press conference at the Information Ministry to respond to a report from the U.S Depsartment of State on the situation of human rights in Yemen.

Mrs. Al-Soswa criticized the report, mentioning it did not include authentic information, was partial and characterized by overgeneralization, and confusing between different issues and was not based on field research.

Mrs. al-Soswa confirmed that the report misunderstood the reality and situation of the political system in Yemen and it contained apparent contradictions, particularly in describing activities of the opposition.

Mrs. al-Soswa urged human rights organizations operating in Yemen to cooperate with her ministry through the special center for receiving complaints and information related to human rights, pointing out that there is a committee composed of human rights and legal affairs ministries to look into all human rights conventions and agreements and compare them with the laws operative in Yemen.

In spite of being criticized at the conference and charged with beautifying the image of the government, al-Soswa asserted that Yemen had made leaps in the field of political and developmental life.

Human Rights Minister avoided answering many questions about the deterioration of human rights in Yemen and the harassment and detention of journalists suspected to have relations with al-Qaeda Organization and the “Believing Youth” which was founded by cleric Hussein al-Houthi.

Al-Soswa has strongly denied that Yemen has any political detention centers or political prisoners despite the fact that some people reminded her about those who have been in prisons like al-Khaiwani, who was recently freed by a President pardon , and judges Miftah, al-Dailami and many others who are still imprisoned for political cases.
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