Judge beats up the lawyer [Archives:2005/822/Opinion]
By Raidan Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf
[email protected]
Yemen Times Staff
The recent events of a lawyer being beaten up by armed personnel of a judge show how urgently overhaul is needed for the Yemeni judicial system. It's continuously failing to function independently and honestly in search of the truth and justice for Yemeni citizens.
We are reminded by this fact every time we find a fellow journalist being assaulted, jailed and sentenced without having the basic right of a fair trail, due to non-existence of such a trial in Yemen.
We, as journalists, try hard in believing in our leaders who pledge to reform the judicial system and stand up for human rights and the freedom of press, only to learn that talk is cheap, and nothing has changed.
On the contrary, things are becoming worse by the day, and on March 1st, just when you thought things can never become worse, a lawyer gets attacked and beaten by the heavily-armed personnel of the judge.
Yes, judge Al-Hirdi ordered his armed forces to attack lawyer Mohammed Naji Allaw, and other journalists attending the court session with no respect whatsoever to their basic human rights, in a barbaric manner with gun breeches inside, while the judge enjoyed the scene of watching Allaw's blood all over the floor of the courtroom. Other lawyers and the crowd were also beaten as they attempted to rescue Allaw and rush him to the nearest medial facility.
When an active member of the justice system is attacked in the court of law by the order of the judge hereby in contempt of the constitution of Yemen and basic human rights, in contrast with the adoption of multiple Human Rights principles in the 1994 amended Constitution, in which rule of law is to prevail and separate civil and military domains for the success of a modern and civil society.
Judge Al-Hirdi doesn't only lack any respect for any human rights for other court members, but he always keeps himself surrounded by armed forces from the military, which is again another violation of the constitution.
Does this mean that constitution of Yemen has failed in enforcing itself?
Yet this judge still accompanied with armed forces which might come in handy when the judge feels the urge to beat some other lawyer or civilians.
The president has always pledged to reform the judicial system and stand up for human rights and the freedom of press, and I am looking forward to a better time when the presidents' pledges become reality.
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[archive-e:822-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-03-07-p:opinion]
