YJS denounces attack on journalists [Archives:2007/1031/Front Page]
By: Mohammed bin Sallam
SANA'A, March 6 ) The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate denounced security authorities' harassment against three journalists, describing the act as dishonorable.
The syndicate said Monday in a statement that Al-Nida weekly newspaper Editor-in-Chief Sami Ghaleb, Al-Nass newspaper Editor Najeeb Al-Yafa'e, Marwan Dammaj secretary general of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate and Hamdi Al-Bukari, the Journalist Syndicate's head of Training and Profession Affairs, were assaulted by security men while they were at the Capital Publications and Press Prosecution to follow up on Al-Wahdawi newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ali Al-Saqqaf's case brought against him by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's son, Ahmed Ali. “For no particular reason all the security members were very hostile and acted aggressively against us. We feel this has to do with the general attitude the security has against journalists in Yemen.” Said Dammaj.
The attack continued even after the three journalists left the prosecution yard. A security man accompanied by several other civilians followed the three and continued their insults, calling them bad names, while some directed arms toward them, the syndicate added.
Ghaleb asserted that the security men's behavior reflects state officials' hostility and incitement against journalism. The insults also reveal the security men's culture, which seems as if they live in a different lifetime, he added.
The syndicate requested Attorney General Abdullah Al-Ulfi investigate the incident and refer the assailants to judiciary.
“What's surprising is the attitude of the prosecution member who passively handled the case once informed by the syndicate's secretary-general, announcing beforehand the journalists' responsibility for what happened to them,” the syndicate noted in its statement.
It further remarked that such acts and violations against journalists and press freedom reflect the effects of incorrect mobilization against journalism.
Still, concerned authorities took no action when Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajammal's guards attacked journalist Mohammed Al-Ghubari, the UAE Al-Bayan correspondent. Influential individuals continue to attack Abed Al-Mahthari, editor in chief of Al-Diyar newspaper.
Al-Wahdawi attack condemned
For its part, the Center for Training and Protection of Press Freedoms condemned security men's attack upon Al-Wahdawi newspaper's headquarters, as well as the arrests of Ali Al-Saqqaf and Muath Al-Maqtari an editor in the same newspaper and further, the search for journalists Ashraf Al-Rifi and Adel Abdulmugni journalists in Al-Wahdawi newspaper.
The center added that such assaults are within the framework of a campaign targeting journalists in order to silence them and that such acts don't suit a state adopting democracy, plurality and respect for opinions.
Security men raided Al-Wahdawi headquarters last Wednesday to arrest Al-Saqqaf and the other three journalists, claiming they had high-level directives to arrest them. However, they found only Al-Saqqaf and Al-Maqtari, who were taken by force to the police station in a dishonorable manner. They still are searching for the other journalists.
Al-Saqqaf's prosecution case was adjourned until next week at the request of the newspaper's lawyer.
——
[archive-e:1031-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-03-08-p:front]
