Parents struggle gives hope to children [Archives:2007/1069/Front Page]

By: Nisreen Shadad
From within the shadows of darkness comes a ray of light. The good news is that Al-Khaiwani, a brave opposition journalist has been released on medical grounds until the trail ends. His children along with children of other victims of human rights violations stand chins up, explaining how they feel about their parents struggle.

SANA'A, July 17 ) Specialized Penal Court Judge Najeeb Al-Qadri decided to release journalist Abdul Karim Al-Khaiwani, a political leader and human rights activist, due to health reasons and without bail. The prosecution, however, announced that it will appeal the ruling within three days.

Al-Khaiwani's release was secured after an appeal presented by Al-Khaiwani's lawyer Nabil Al-Mohammedi, coupled with a report by the secretary general of Yemeni Doctors and Pharmacists Syndicate who recommended Al-Khaiwani's release as he suffers a chronic heart problem and is in need of around-the-clock medical care.

Accused of providing Houthi media support, Al-Khaiwani was arrested by security personnel in plain clothes one month ago. Al-Khaiwani's detainment was violent and he was taken into custody wearing nothing but his sleepwear.

Pride

Hiba, daughter of Al-Khaiwani, smiled when receiving the certificate of honor on behalf of her father, who was still in prison at the time of the ceremony. The ceremony was held last Tuesday in the occasion of the Universal day of Justice held by the Sisters Arab forum for Human Rights.

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The eighth grader said she is 'proud' of her father as he dedicated his life to defending human rights.

Though Hiba witnessed her father being arrested and abused in front of her eyes, she was not afraid to say she would like to follow her father's steps and become a 'journalist' in the future.

“Victory is ours,” said Harun, Anisa Al-Shuaibi's son, aged nine, when his mother received an award. Al-Shuaibi's daughter covered her face in this occasion to be anonymous and her son felt that he lived in a war. “There are many people, whom I saw in the prison as well as in the courtroom watching us as if we were a showpiece on display,” said Harun.

12 examples of bravery

The Universal Day for Justice is an occasion for the human right activists as well as the abused whose dignity is proscribed and sentenced by law. The honored are three journalists; Ali al-Dhubaibi, Mahmoud Taha, and Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani. The defenders union represented by five lawyers; Ahmed al-Wadee, Muhammed al-Madani, Nabeal al-Muhammadi, Hael Salam and Muhammed al-Buthaiji as well as Al-Neda'a newspaper, in addition to four persons honored as they defend their rights and bravely talked about their cases in front of the media such as Sameera Daood, Anisa al-Shuaibi, Hamdan al-Dirsi and Shaif al-Haimi.

Moreover, the Universal day of Justice was the day of launching the first edition of Shadow reports prepared by civil society organization in Yemen on the implementation of all forms of discrimination against women CEDAW. The first report was submitted to the CEDAW commission at United Nations in August 2002.

“The second report comes following four years of the first report in accordance to the procedures followed and required,” said Amal Basha, the chairman of the Sisters Arab forum for human rights.

In journalism, Ali al-Dhubaibi, a journalist in al-Neda'a newspaper, won human rights award as well as a certificate of honor. Al-Dhubaibi worked for a year in the issue of insolvents who were put in prisons. He found during his investigated report, 350 prisoners whose crime is because they are insolvents. Some of the prisoners' juridical decision was to stay in prisons for seven years; however he stayed more than 17 years. After a long effort of journalist and NGOs for defending human rights, 70 insolvents released from these prisons.

Ahmed al-Wadee, a lawyer who also honored in this day and said, “Arresting the insolvents and putting them in prisons is obviously violating the law.” Detaining is as a result of the criminal sanction, not the financial sanction, according to al-Wadee, who pointed out that such arrests reflect only 'belittling' the human rights and freedoms.

Mahmoud Taha, another journalist honored due to the issues he tackled in his newspaper; al-Sharee. One of the issues, he dealt with is a story of a little boy, aged ten years. He found him in June 2006 wandering, close to a hotel located near to Yemeni borders. This boy was smuggled to Saudi Arabia, while he was six years old. After four years, he traveled to return to his home, however he lost the way. Taha continued to search about this little boy's family, and lastly with the help of Democratic school, the little boy returned to his home.

Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, Al-Shura's editor-in-chief, used to defend human rights. However, he is now behind the bars of the prison. He wrote a lot about the recent issues that defend human rights and follow the cases of the abused people in prisons such as Samra'a; whose issue is still in trial. She was arrested in charge of murder and was tortured in the prison until she was stricken by leprosy.

Al-Neda'a newspaper, which was headed by Sami Ghalib, was honored as its journalists are struggling to display the human rights issues with the aim of informing the responsible authorities to move and find solutions.

At the beginning of 2007, Nabeel al-Muhammadi defended the 136 insolvents who were arrested, since arresting them is a crime itself, 60 of them are released. Other lawyers were honored such as Mohammed al-Madani who is interested in human rights and others.

Simple citizens abused, but still stand firm

People who are abused, however standing tall not to make such tragedies took place for others are also honored such as Sameera Daood, Hasan al-Hitari's wife, who was put in prison in charge of insolvency, interacted with the 300 insolvents' families. He r husband was put in prison in charge of two cases. The juridical decision for the first one is three months and the second is five months. However he was released in September, 3, 2007.

After numerous meetings were being held, Daood considered such meetings the birth of '17th of June forum' headed by him and aimed to coordinate the official efforts with the civil ones.

Media plays a significant role in making the insolvents cases in light, “Al-Nass newspaper stands with our case