Sana’a University students sue PM [Archives:2004/702/Local News]

Mohammed bin Sallam
Sana'a University students whom the Political Security Organization(PSO) has released last week after they had arrested on charges of terror announced their intention to file suit against the Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal due to his accusing them as terrorists as well as against all those doing the same at the ministry of interior and the university administration. They mentioned that at a press conference they held last Tuesday.
Althawri newspaper that published the news in its last issue mentioned that thirteen detainees out of a total fourteen students have related how they were arrested during confrontations that happened on 23 December, 2003 between students and the university security elements. The also talked about their arrest and circumstances of detention at the PSO and Criminal Investigation prison cells, clarifying that the arrests were provocative and terrifying and that elements of the secret using police jeeps stopped some of them and tracked down others.
The same security elements rounded some students and drove them at gun point, the students said.
The students said they were subjected during their detention to psychological demoralization by prisoners having long hair and long fingernails. They added they were forced into black sacks, blindfolded and then driven for interrogation. The PSO interrogators asked them about their political affiliations, their surnames, roles in blasting bombs and acts of sabotage which took place inside Sana'a University Campus. It is an accusation a parliamentary fact-finding committee had denied the occurrence of any destruction or sabotage to public property.
The committee said the PSO arrested most of the students and imprisoned them inside the PSO prison in violation of the constitution and the law. The the arrests took place outside the university and after convention of student conference (i.e. the students were picked up not as a result of riot acts).
The parliamentary committee report said there was no evidence on blasting bombs contrary to a university security report and noted a mismanagement by the university administration. The committee had also urged the university administration for containing the impact entailed of what happened, affirming that students should be allowed practice their activities.
it has also called for preventing outside intervention in university affairs and the university presidency should reconsider its relation with security and students.
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