Journalists Trials
The west criminal court decided to refer the suit of the newspaper Al-Rai Al-Am to the district attorney’s office to conduct an investigation of those who were incited to kill and provoke Muslim sentiment and gather large sums of money via illegal means.
The court also decided on Saturday to cancel everything outside the cases as well as what is mentioned in the civil suit.
The court listened to the response of the newspaper toward the charges lobbed against it by the defense body.
The lawyers responded to the defense by attacking their lack of specialization in raising civil suits and their inability to describe in what way Muslims had been injured by the newspaper’s decision to republish the cartoon.
Khaled Al-Ansi, prosecutor, opposed the defense lawyers’ response considering that if this case were not accepted, then Islam would not longer be able to stand and it would be open to further attack.
Judge Husan Al-Akwa decided to postpone the issue until May 13.
GPC calls for return of licenses:
SANA’A- An official source in the ruling General People Congress (GPC) party said that the party is working to cancel the decision to withdraw the licenses of three newspapers, including the Yemen Observer.
The licenses were suspended after they were accused of republishing the cartoons which insulted Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in February.The source asked “concerned bodies” to cancel the decision and allow the newspapers - Al-Ray Al-Am, Yemen Observer and Al-Horiah - to resume printing, until judge issues a verdict in the ongoing court cases.
The source pointed out that the Editors-in-Chief of the newspapers have argued the republishing the cartoons was to defend the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).He said that the three papers work to defend the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), and that the GPC was working to allow the papers to return to work, as the decision was given by Ministry of Information not by the judicial authority.
In February, the Ministry of Information gave orders to cancel the license of the three papers following the alleged printing of the cartoons first printed in Denmark.
The trial of Mohammed Al-Asadi, Editor-in-Chief of the Yemen Observer, is due to resume on Wednesday April 19.
