In Ibb governorate:Detainees want to be released [Archives:2003/636/Front Page]

Hassan Al-Zaidi
Detainees at the Political Security Prison in Ibb governorate are determined to stage a sit-in because of as they claim that their detention is unlawful, the deterioration of their psychological and health conditions, as well as preventing them from communicating with their families, a statement issued on May 13 said.
The statement demanded the release of those detainees as quickly as possible and for putting and end to their detention. This has come in a time in which the authorities make promises to set them free.
The statement pressed for restoring their self-esteem before the public, particularly after taking mug shots by the detention authorities.
The statement further demanded for the agreement implementation, which was reached with Yemeni religious scholars and were entrusted with by the president a year ago.
One article in the agreement stipulates that any act perpetrated should be considered to be an individual act and that the offender should be held accountable for what he commits.
Officials on the other hand, see that the delaying tactics for setting free the detainees can be ascribed to developments or incidents that have recently taken place.
Others see that the delay to set them free is attributed to precautionary security measures.
In the same context, relatives of the detainees have issued a petition letter to the Yemeni religious scholars, the National Supreme Committee for Human Rights and the concerned bodies asking for ending the detention period and putting on end to their sufferings.
On the other hand, the National Organization for Defending Human Rights and Freedoms, NODHRF, have expressed its concerns over breaching of law and constitution on the part of the Political Security Office, PSO during the unlawful massive detention following the September 11 attacks in the USA. The NODHRF has also denounced the silence on infringements of the general attorney and of not investigating such incidents, despite of being informed.
The NODHRF has appealed to the president to interfere and put an end to the detainees' sufferings, their relatives and set them free.
The NODHRF has also called in a statement on human rights organizations and civil societies for showing solidarity with the detainees, addressing the security and judicial apparatus to put an end to their detention.
Meanwhile, around 190 detainees have been still behind the PSO bars.
Those detainees have been suspected of blasting the USS Cole destroyer, where 17 US marine soldiers were killed in October 2000, in Aden harbor and the September 11 attacks in the US.
Al-Qaeda elements, calling themselves, al-Qaeda sympathizers threatened to carry out sabotage acts in case the government didn't fulfill demands to set the detainees free following the September 11 attacks.
The Ibb detainees are among those detainees in all the Yemeni prisons of having links to terrorist acts.
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