YJS urges better conditions for journalists [Archives:2005/903/Local News]

SANA'A, Dec. 11 – In a statement distributed last Sunday, Mahboub Ali expressed concern about a series of verdicts issued against a number of private newspapers including “Al-Tajamu,” mouthpiece of the Yemeni Unionist Nasserite Party and “Al-Rasd” weekly independent newspaper. “Al-Usbou,” a weekly independent newspaper, recently was suspended for three months by court order.

The YJS chief also is concerned about the increasing number of verdicts against journalists, banning them from writing, including those from “Al-Thawry,” mouthpiece of the Yemen Socialist party. He also expressed the syndicate's concern over recent violence committed against journalists such as storming houses and intimidation. Mohamed Sadiq Al-Odaini, chairman of the press rights and freedom center, was terrorized while at home with his family last week when armed men stormed his house. A Ministry of Interior security source confirmed in a statement published last week in official newspapers that Al-Odaini's attackers were his landlords and that authorities have arrested some of them. Speaking to the Yemen Times, Al-Odaini said one of the attackers “is known to me. He works with the security police and his name is S. Al-Adwi.”” He said what the Ministry of Interior security source reported was false. “”My landlord is Jubran Al-Hanhana. He is well known and I have no problem with him at all. It seems this alleged security source tried to conceal the identities of the real attackers