Islah demands Government to stop trading in terrorismParliament agrees to reinvestigate Omar’s assassination [Archives:2004/699/Front Page]
Mohammed Al-Qadhi
The Yemeni parliament chairmanship agreed Monday to the opposition request concerning the reinvestigation into the assassination of the YSP Assistant Secretary General Jarallah Omar, a source at the National Authority following up the case told Yemen Times. He said that Speaker Sheikh Abdullah al-Ahmar and his deputy Yahya al-Ra'ee met a delegation of the authority Monday which delivered a message to them, requesting that investigation into the assassination should be done again to unveil the compliance of the assassin Ali Ahmed Jarallah and the political motives of the crime.
He added that al-Ahmar and al-Ra'ee responded positively to the request and decided to write a message to the Court of Appeals of Sana'a, requesting it not go on in the trial so that all aspects of the case be made clear.
They also said they would address the General Prosecutor Dr. Abdullah al-Ulofi and chief of intelligence with regard to the demands of the socialist party, conducting investigations into the issues the party believes important.
This move on part of the parliament will achieve the YSP and opposition objectives in reinvestigation into the crime, revealing all aspects of the assassination and the people standing behind it. The YSP already said that names of the persons mentioned during the investigation with the murderer, including leading members of the Islah party.
The court of appeals is expected to start the trial sessions this month as the assassin appealed the primary court verdict, sentencing him to death and five of his cell's members to 5-10 years imprisonment in jail.
Besides, the opposition observed the first anniversary of the assassination of Omar, attacking the government and holding it accountable for not disclosing the real truth behind the crime. Mohammed Kahtan, head of Islah's political department lashed out at the government in a ceremony held Sunday, accusing it of trading in terrorism and expanding the size of poverty, oppression, calling for a political balance in the country to enhance freedoms and protect human rights against tyranny. He strongly attacked the government which he said is making business out of the fight on terrorism, pointing out that this procedure has caused problems to the country as “the country and its political forces are not a commodity in your shops to trade with”. He demanded the government to “fight terrorism in a more serious and legal way.” “Terrorism is taking away the food of the masses, messing security and depositing public money in commercial banks,” he said.
On his part, Abdulmalik al-Mikhlafi, secretary general of the Unionist Nasserite Party said that the coalition of terrorism and corruption is behind delay in disclosing the truth about Omar's death despite the passing of one year since the crime. He demanded that the democratic margin should be widened, abolishing the law of demonstrations, amending the election law. “While the government is conducting dialogues with terrorists, it is arresting the political activists calling for change,” he added.
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