Armies of Liberation

Threats on anti-corruption minister: Minister of Justice, Adnan Al-Jefry, has said that intense pressure has been put on the ministry to cease its efforts to implement judicial reforms, particularly those which have resulted in the investigation of 22 judges suspected of infringing the law, and the putting under observation of a further 3.

Al-Jefry also revealed that he had received nurmerous threats from senior figures telling him that he would be excluded in the next government unless he met their demands.

In a press conference held last Monday, Al-Jefry revealed that he had received over 450 letters, telephone calls, and direct contacts attempting to persuade him to nominate judges or move them from one position to another. The contacts came, he said, from PM Bajamal, Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, speaker of the parliament, Abdulkarim Al-Eryani, political advisor to the President, and Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, a senior military official, among others.

“Sheikhs, and some politicians and judges are proving a stumbling-block to attempts to put our strategy into effect and modernize and improve the judicial system,” Al-Jefry said.

Corruption: A treatise from the Central Organization for Control and Auditing has recently unveiled that the state treasury lost YR2.5 billion and more than a $1 million in 68 corruption charges.

The treatise being discussed by the Shura Council confirmed that what was disbursed without official documents amounted to YR6.5 billion and $7.3 million in violation of the Finance Law.

The article goes on listing gross financial improprieties. (Keep in mind half the people are below the poverty line and there’s no schools, no water, ect.) So of course the state will take action against the thieves and “former ministers will take up positions in diplomatic missions abroad, the Shura council, while others will retire.” Acccountability in action.

Al-Houthi: AL HOUTHI ABDULMALIK DECLARES A HALT IN THE NEGOCIATION WITH GOV BECAUSE OF CONTINIOUS TORTURE OF PRISONER AND CONTINUED ATTACK AGAINEST ZAIDI SCHOOL AND FORCING PEOPLE TO CONVERT TO WAHABI (forcing people to convert to Wahabbi= making them go to Wahabbi Friday prayers at gunpoint, outlawing other teachings, destroying the Zaidya literature, ect. Torture=torture, not loud music)

Yemen’s Theological Dialogue Committee will resume next week a new round of “reeducation” of 600 followers of oppositionist Hussien Badruddin al-Houthi. Committee chairman Hamoud Al-Hetar said the committee would report to higher authorities on the result of the sessions and then the persons involved in criminal acts will face court. According to Yemen sources, militants whose “thoughts never translated” into actions will be freed. (So they are in jail for their thoughts not actions. The government is striving for religious homogeneity in order to end sectarian differences you see. /s)

Journos Arrested and beat up during the riots:

In other incidents of concern to the journalists meeting on Saturday, Yemeni correspondents for foreign media were barred from sending news reports using Yemeni TV satellite stations despite agreements that allow them to do so.

“When I was reporting on the riots, policemen arrested me and put me in jail for three days,” said Ali al-Awadhi from the weekly Al-Asima newspaper. “I was accused of instigating the riots. I was put in a small cell with another 16 prisoners.”

“The Ministry of Interior has not seriously dealt with continuous complaints issued by the YJS,” al-Bukari said. The government always tries to block coverage of such events in fear of bad publicity, he added.

“We have intervened to get some of our colleagues released,” he said. “We cannot accept such practices, and some officials from the Ministry of Interior should have attended this debate.” The government declined to comment on the issue when contacted on Tuesday by IRIN.

IFEX: The army and security forces in Yemen have arrested a number of journalists covering the events and attacked others, confiscating their cameras and film. Some journalists have been banned from covering the events. In other cases, Yemeni correspondents for foreign media have been barred from sending news reports using Yemeni TV satellite stations despite agreements that allow them to do so.

Illiterate Girls: It said some 5,800 girls drop out of school in the Sanaa province each year due also to poor education levels, the high cost of education and preferential treatment for boys, whereas education is reserved for males in case of limited family resources. (The illiteracy rate for women in Yemen is about 75% One big problem: not enough schools, not enough resources for the schools that do exist. They are really in pathetically bad shape for kids to attend.) 82% of girls married before 18, poverty one factor in this trend also.

Human Rights, Little Progress: UN

The Human Rights Committee rejected the government’s argument that it was not possible “to abide at the same time by religious principles and some obligations under the Covenant” on Civil and Political Rights.

The independence of the judiciary, discrimination suffered by women, domestic violence, so-called ‘honour killings’, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), and alleged grave rights violations in the name of combating terrorism were among the matters that most concerned committee experts. Other concerns included the high rate of illiteracy, child labour, and the trafficking of women and children.

Yemen, the committee said, should ensure that the judiciary was free of any interference, in particular from the executive; should work towards establishing a national human rights institution; and review its laws in order to ensure full equality between men and women in matters of personal status.

Saleh interrogates the prisoners from the riots himself (This is a machine translation.) Good President on Abdullah assumes himself interrogation of the citizens arrested in the demonstrations objectionable on raising madness of the fuel which uncle of the cities Yemeni, on the basis of what newspaper came in “the middle” in her number today Wednesday. Where mentioned that President called last Sunday numbers of arrested and their interrogation rose in himself in ministry interior, host that the interrogation continued from the hour seventh until tenth evening. (He’s cracking up, seeing devils everywhere. In the end, he’ll blame the Houthis.)

Heathcare? No. Only 30% of rural areas have access to primary health care and out-of-pocket contribution to health cost is more than 91%.

Policy Paper: NGO’s controlled by the government.
Policy Paper: Little incentive to curb corruption.

MIEPA: Also, if someone done a crime and police found out, the criminal could give police a small amount of money so they would not cought him or say that they saw him, and 99% of police do that….The government does not do it job and it does not provide safety living condition for the people. In urban cities there is no police station and also in villigas. Even in big cities there is one police station in case of any emregency. The government does not provide all safety for the people.

1999: Firstly, the old opposition parties must bury their differences and develop some ideas with a broad popular appeal. Secondly, the government should be less fearful of engaging with the opposition on equal terms.

One constructive step which the government could take would be to reform the rules for selecting presidential candidates. The current requirement is that nominees need the support of 10% of parliament. In a first-past-the post electoral system that threshold is almost always going to be too high for all but the two largest parties.

Tribal battles: Battles between the two biggest tribes in Jouf province has been going on for more than a week. (So where is all that military hardware that was so prominent on the streets of Sanaa recently? Just let them battle it out? Thats the strategy?) Sheikh Hasan Abdullah Al-Iraqi, Secretary General of the Local Council of Al-Jawf also Head of the GPC branch in the Governorate, shot in the head and was immediately taken to Azal private hospital. Newsyemen reported that the Sheikh was just released from the detention of the Ministry of Defence based on armed clashes between his tribe, Hamdan, and Al-Shawlan tribe headed by Parliament Member Sheikh Ameen Al-Okaimi. (The parliament is comprised of many Sheiks and tribal leaders.)

Polio Immunisation The Ministry of Health in Yemen has announced the completion in July of two rounds of a nationwide campaign to immunise children following a polio outbreak in May, and reported a high level of success in reaching vulnerable children. Yemen now has 369 confirmed polio cases, but the rate is slowing, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures. As of early July, there were 300 cases.

Please, no locusts.

Discrimination against Southerners: “intimidation, illegal detention and death threats from the state security services.”

And this I dont understand even slightly: Eritrea and Yemen