Yemeni Press Subject to Harassment [Archives:2000/19/Law & Diplomacy]
The emergence of different independent and party-organ newspapers coincided with the declaration of the unification on May 22, 1990. Many political parties were licensed in the country to have their own newspapers to express their responses to daily events and to propagate their objectives. More than 70 weekly and monthly newspapers were founded. Unfortunately many newspapers could not get rid of the political affiliation to the respective parties and thus became a hot bed of political controversies and squabbles. There has also been the marked absence of qualified journalists.
Talking about the Yemeni press during the past ten years, one can divide it into two phases. The period from the unification until the civil war witnessed more liberty in press functioning. No newspapers were closed down except Sada Al-Sha’ab which accused a female university student of adultery in 1992.
The Yemeni Socialist Party was able to catch the imagination of the Yemeni readers with a group of well-qualified journalists and a chain of well-organized newspapers who highlighted a number of sensitive topics boldly. Moreover, It was able to strike a balance between the partners in the government and the opposition.
By using terms such as disarmament, political reform, promoting democracy, etc. and talking about the sufferance of the man in the street, the press of the YSP became the most vocal and popular. Sawt Al-Ommal newspaper was No. 1 in this regard as its its circulation reached 140 thousand copies for each issue. On its part, the People’s General Congress (PGC) founded a number of newspapers, some of which were declared as its mouthpieces and others, although supporting it, were said to be independent. Amidst the race of the ruling parties to win the public opinion, opposition newspapers were unable to achieve a remarkable degree of success in their mission. The circulation of their newspapers did not even exceed 2,000 copies per issue.
In the first phase, which is the period before the Civil War of 1994, the political controversies between the two ruling parties were dominant. Despite all the contrary phenomena, one can not deny that it is during this period that democracy, press freedom and freedom of expression flourished. This does not necessarily mean that newspapers were true in all what they reported. Sometimes newspapers fell into the trap of defamation.
After the war and the ejection of the YSP from the political scenario, the number of newspapers shrunk. The first few years in this second phase were remarkable for caution and instability due to the absence of a balancing political power. Press and journalists became subject to harassment and suppression. Press was under strict monitoring. More than 50 cases were filed against newspapers. In addition, some papers were closed down for treason and being secret agents. During 1996-1999, Al-Wahdawi, Al-Thawri, Al-Showra, Al-Haq, Al-Ommah, Yemen Times and other newspapers were taken to court. Dr. Abubakr Al-Saqqaf, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf where beaten many times. Mohammed Sadiq Al-Odainy spent two years in prison. Jamal Aamer, Abubakr Al-Saqqaf, Jameel Al-Samet and Abdul Latif Katabis were tried. Recently, journalist Mutahar Al-Ashmory was forbidden from writing in Al-Thawrah newspapers and was thrown out of his job as a chief editor of Al-Ryiadhah newspaper.
However this period is unlike the first one, for it witnessed an undeniable promotion of opposition newspapers. Quality of work and the layout of newspapers changed for the better compared to the first phase. One of the very important events of this period was the Sana’a Declaration in 1996 to enhance the role of the Arab media. The declaration confirmed respect for press freedom.
Last Wednesday Yemen celebrated the Universal Press Day. On this occasion, the Journalists Syndicate organized a seminar on press freedom in the Yemeni legislation. Unfortunately, journalists were a target of sever criticism and insult by the Minister of Legal Affairs, Abdullah Ahmad Ghanim who described them as female dancers who work at nights and sleep in days. He soon left the seminar after the journalists began to express their condemnation of his words. Chairman of the syndicate, Mahboob Ali made a speech in which he highlighted the aim of the seminar which was to address the issue of press freedom, its position in Law and its commitment to the international principles and conventions. A number of papers were also presented by Advocate Mohammed Naji Allaw, Advocate Jamaladdin Al-Adimi, director of the legal affairs at the Ministry of Information, Fathia Abdul Wase’a and the representative of the United Nations at the Sana’a Information Center, Yosof Abu Ras.
The international Press day coincided with unprecedented harassment of newspapers and journalists. The closure of Al-Showra and court trial of papers like Al-Wahdawi, Al-Ayyam, Al-Shomoa and Al-Ray Al-Aam are black spots in the history of the Ministry of Information in Yemen. Many journalists demanded that the Ministry of Information be superceded and be declared as anti democracy and anti press for its ignominious atrocities against newspapers. Rehabilitation of press needs suspension of all forms of press monitoring and black laws that give courts the right to imprison journalists.
The worst thing at the end of the second phase has been supporting some independent newspapers, such as Al-Shomo’a, by some government officials to launch defamation campaigns against a number of ministers and the Prime minister himself. To conclude, all the indicators confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that press in Yemen is prone to harassment and intimidation, making a mockery of freedom of the press.
Jalal Al-Shara’abi
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