Officials and MPs: journalists’ telephone conversations tapped [Archives:2006/914/Front Page]

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January 23 2006

SANA'A, Jan. 21 – In a Saturday morning sit-in at the Yemeni Women Journalists Forum, several members of parliament, journalists, officials and members of civic organizations showed their solidarity with Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmed Al-Shalafi, whose telephone conversation was wiretapped and distributed by email to some journalists.

Participants denounced wiretapping as a lawbreaking act and said investigating with wiretaps is unnecessary. MP Ali Hussein Ishal said monitoring journalists' telephone conversations is as old as the security authorities themselves. He added that journalists are attacked because they disclose corruption and defend rights and freedoms.

Mohammed Naji Allaw, Coordinator of Hood Organization for Rights and Freedoms, revealed that Yemeni authorities allow telecommunication companies to operate on condition that they provide devices to monitor customers' telephone conversations.

Prominent Socialist Party leader Ali Al-Sarari affirmed that tapping journalists' telephone conversations is a clear indication of the indecency and lack of morals of those who wiretap. “Wiretapping frequently has been used, but what is new in such a shameful act is that wiretapped telephone conversations now are publicly disclosed,” he added. Al-Sarari also stated that wiretapping is a security official's creation and that MPs should hold the government accountable for such an “immoral plan” made to pursue the opposition, journalists and counter-opinion writers.

Abdulrazaq Al-Hijri, member of Parliament's Constitutional Body, said, “Wiretapping is a clear infringement of the constitution, which ensures privacy of telephone conversations. Telephone wiretapping is a dangerous act of aggression against journalists. By this act, authorities try to undermine the morale of journalists.” Al-Hijri urged journalists not to be affected by this new “infringement” and to continue their great and firm stands.

MP Ali Al-Ansi made it clear that the monitoring of Al-Shalafi is a message implying that others' telephone conversations undergo the same treatment.

MPs Al-Ansi, Al-Hijri and Ishal?, announced their solidarity with Al-Shalafi, saying they stand on the side of journalists. “We affirm that we will question ministers regarding Al-Shalafi's case to reveal the truth and if they do not respond to our demands, we at least will limit telephone wiretapping,” Al-Hijri said.

Yahya Al-Sabri, head of the Nasserite Unionists' Political Unit, also participated in the sit-in, commenting that the Joint Meeting Parties see that monitoring telephone conversations is not new and should be stopped. “What happened to Al-Shalafi is one way to interfere with journalists' privacy and aims to make them mute,” he added.

Joel Campagna, Senior Coordinator of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) – Middle East and North Africa Program, also participated in the sit-in. He said two of his colleagues arrive in Yemen this week and will meet journalists and government officials to discuss press freedom issues in Yemen. Campagna stated, “I am here in Yemen to show solidarity with Yemeni journalists and share their concerns. Though they face acts of aggression, I am optimistic that they still are active. When two of my colleagues arrive in Yemen, we will meet members of the government to discuss the situation of journalists and freedom of press. We hope to get a real picture of the journalistic situation in Yemen.”

Murad Hashim, head of Al-Jazeera's Sana'a office, affirmed the difficulty in accusing a specific party of monitoring Al-Shalafi's telephone conversation. However, his office sent a statement to Parliament questioning the government about the incident and denouncing the wiretapping of Al-Shalafi's conversation. The statement asked the Ministry of Telecommunication and the Ministry of Interior to investigate the parties involved in monitoring Al-Shalafi.

Lawyer Jamal Al-Ja'bi suggested sending a letter to the head of Political Security, as well as the head of National Security, as these two authorities have monitoring means, or at least should investigate Al-Shalafi's case.

The issue of press freedom in Yemen has been dealt with by many organizations inside and outside the country. At the end of 2005, Women Journalists without Constraints (WJWC) issued a report on freedom of press in Yemen. The report mentioned more than 50 acts of aggression against Yemeni journalists in 2005. Aggression ranged from attacking and kidnapping journalists to attacking newspapers, assaulting and closing newspaper establishments, preventing journalists from writing and cyber piracy.

On November 16, 2005, the CPJ urged President Saleh to publicly condemn brazen attacks against the media and personally ensure that appropriate law enforcement authorities conduct thorough, transparent and expeditious investigations so assailants are held accountable to the full extent of the law. On December 12 of the same year, the CPJ issued a statement concerning attacks on a number of journalists. The statement mentioned, “Government officials and suspected state agents have targeted several Yemeni journalists with threats, brutal assaults, abductions and criminal lawsuits. No one has been held accountable for these acts.”
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