Journalists complain of threats, face false charges [Archives:2006/941/Front Page]
SANA'A, April 26 ) In a statement released Wednesday, Al-Wasat weekly holds authorities accountable to protect its chief editor from attacks by anonymous individuals.
The statement confirmed that a group of individuals led by a political security officer – whose names are being withheld by the paper – visited the street where Jamal Amer lives. They inquired about his apartment, vehicle license plate number and schools his children attend. The strange inquiries raised fear among Amer's family members, as the head of the household was abroad.
According to Al-Wasat's statement, this is not the first time inquiries were made about Amer, as his movements and activities have been observed since he was kidnapped. Ruling party newspapers accused Amer of being an agent for the West because he accepted a travel invitation to the U.S.
The statement urged human rights organizations and political parties to react to such attacks, which contravene the Constitution and human morals and tend to become a widespread phenomenon. The newspaper notified President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the highest ranking official responsible to protect his citizens, the Attorney General and the Minister of Interior to investigate the case and take firm action against the perpetrators.
Akhbar Al-Yawm, which appears to be in line with authorities, published a story on its front page stating that Ibrahim Bin Ali Al-Wazir, an opposition leader and Popular Forces Unionist Party member residing in the U.S., held a meeting with many Yemeni journalists, including Amer, in Washington.
In its story, the newspaper reported that the meeting involved U.S. writer Jane Novak and another man named Malik, who is working as a coordinator in Yemen for Israel's intelligence organization. The story added that these individuals agreed to launch an English-language web site and a satellite channel to meet the needs of imperialist opposition forces abroad.
Capital Southeast Court postponed its Wednesday hearing devoted to Al-Hurriyya newspaper's defense team's response to charges filed against the paper, as the team did not attend the previous session.
Press and Publication Prosecution responded to an appeal filed by Al-Hurriyya's defense team, affirming that it never accused journalists who republished the Prophet Mohammed's caricature of atheism. It said such journalists face charges of publication crimes, as stipulated by the Crimes and Penalties Law.
The Yemeni Journalists' Syndicate (YJS) met with Minister of Interior Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi last week to discuss abuses and harassments against journalists. The syndicate informed Al-Alimi of the attack on Abed Al-Mahdhari, who faced threats and his car forcibly was grabbed from the capital. He was threatened with murder by a group of individuals demanding he stop discussing arms trade issues.
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