Obstructing Justice in al-Qafar Primary Court [Archives:2001/29/Local News]

Alaw Legal Consultation Firm released a press statement concerning the ruling of al-Qafar Primary Court in Ibb Governorate in which it suspended its sessions dealing with the case of Faisal Qasim al-Demah, murdered at the People’s General Congress office following his winning a seat at the local election conducted last year. Mr. Faisal al-Demah was a nominee of the Islah party and was murdered by Mohammed A. al-Hada, the nominee of the ruling party (PGC) and his gang. The suspension of the case is a protest against Ibb’s Central Prison’s administration not observing the rulings of the General Attorney and the court, as well as the absence of security measures which ensure the safety of the court panel and the other related parties.
The statement noted that “the administration of the Central Prison at Ibb Governorate deliberately summoned the persons accused of involvement in the murder of al-Demah, which contradicts the court’s rulings. This situation has created an atmosphere of doubt, since some of the accused are already in prison and therefore easily recognized when they appear before the court in prison uniforms”.
The statement further added that “it had discovered that some influential people had secretly supported the suspects through obstructing the course of justice.
The extrajudicial measures taken by the prison’s administration encouraged the suspects to attend court accompanied by hundreds of people hired to threaten the victim’s relatives, lawyers and the court panel.
The press release added that the suspects come and go without any restrictions on their movement by the prison guards, who received directives from the suspect’s brother who is a director of a district. The latter used to attend the sessions accompanied by an armed group.
The press statement of Alaw Legal Consultation Firm appealed to the Attorney General and the Minister of Interior to take the necessary legal measures to ensure that the prison’s administration is questioned and brought to justice for refusing to implement the rulings of the court as well as taking disciplinary measures against its chief officials. It further called the court panel to give up the case if pressure is put on it to obstruct justice.

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