President orders amnesty for Al-Houthi supporters [Archives:2005/880/Front Page]

Sana'a 25th sep- In a speech on the occasion of the celebration of 26th of September revolution that put an end to Yemen's religious rule and transformed it into a republic ,President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced yesterday an amnesty for all jailed supporters of a slain Shiite rebel cleric who waged an insurgency against the state last year. “We have declared an amnesty for the supporters of Hussein al-Houthi ” Saleh said in a speech carried by state television” We have pardoned them despite the blood that has been spilt,” he added.

Yemeni forces killed al-Houthi who led a radical group that wants to install Shiite clerical rule and arouse violence against the United States and Israel.More than 200 rebels during fierce fighting were killed last year as well.

A new round of fighting erupted in March in which 700 rebels and security forces were killed. The government blamed Al-Houthi's father- Sheikh Badr el-Deen al-Houthi for that and arrested hundreds of his followers. The elder Houthi has agreed to stop fighting.

Saleh referred that the government would compensate the family of Imam Ahmed Hameed al-Deen, Yemen's last Islamic leader whose assets were seized after the army coup in 1962.
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