Armies of Liberation

Statement On The Withholding Of “Al-Shoura Net” And The Continuation Of The Burglary On Al-Shoura Newspaper And “Sout Al-Shoura”.

A continuation of the policy of repression and targeting of media and press freedoms in the country, on Sunday evening, February 24, 2007 the authorities withhold “Al-Shoura Net” electronic website after a series of official threats against the website and the staff; Most recently in the words of an official source on the 26th of September militarism press.

The official withholding is new violation added to the series of formal targeting pain phases of the media Issued by the Yemeni forces Union Party. It is targeting our electronic website after it had targeted “Al-Shoura” press and “Voice of the Al-Shoura” because we are criticizing corruption, the prejudices of Rights and Freedoms, and our continuing need for political and cultural reforms And good governance, It also targeting our party after the political authorities approval. On contrast side, full freedom inside their newspapers.
Moreover, they adopted many official suppression patterns towards our media freedoms, we can observe most here:
 On September 5, 2004 a court ruling against the chief editor of “Al-Shoura” weekly newspaper, Abdul Karim Khaiwani, judged and incarcerated for a year with the force, stopping the newspaper for seven months; Al-khaiwani was incarcerated immediately after the court sentence and was prevented from the right of appeal.
 This penalty came when the newspaper issued important topics on the press, until that moment in the official taboo; the most prominent file was the “hereditary rule” in the country. And the “oil corruption” and the phenomenon of collecting government officials among their official positions and the practice of Trade.
 At the end of March 2005 in response to the pressures and demands of local organizations and the Arabs and international Concerned on press freedoms, Authorities released the chief editor of “Al-Shoura” Under an amnesty by the President of the Republic. Then “Al-Shoura” newspaper is being resumed its publication in April of the same year, But it soon became under suppression again where an armed gang, supported by elements of security, storming the headquarters of the newspaper and Expelled workers, occupation and control of all properties including the monthly “Voice of Al-Shoura“properties. Although we recourse to the security agencies, but they refrained from taking any legal step against the robbery gang, the adjudication also refused to consider a court case in this regard, With the oral promises of the President of the Republic to return the pending press and buildings until now.
 The authorities took additional steps in this repression prevented the National press of printing “Al-Shoura”, while the Ministry of Information granted licenses to armed gang enabled it to the issuance of our “Al-Shoura” press as a faked and reproduced press. Until now it still issued in fake format funded by the governor party with full official facilities as the printing of the newspaper reproduced in the “Al-thorah governmental press.
 The “Voice of Al-Shoura,” political, intellectual, press that is published monthly, is also banned from publication and the confiscation of their properties beside “Al-Shoura” press properties. Also Mr. Abdallah Sabri Editor-in-chief of “Al-Shoura” is subjected of the trial continues two years ago in a lawsuit brought by Undersecretary of The Ministry of the Interior and Security Council because of the issue of the publication.
 Authorities withhold “Al-Shoura Net” website on the polling day of presidential and local elections, in September 2006, however, we were enable to re-launch the website. Again, authorities have obscured attempts collusion between The Ministry of Communications, the only operator of the Internet in the country and Local mediator of the hosting company on the net that caused creating number of technical obstacles led to Consecutive changes in the links and the address of the site.
 The chief editor was arbitrary prevented from traveling outside of the country where he was detained in 18 / 11 / 2006 in Sana’a Airport. As he was preparing to travel to Morocco to participate in the effectiveness of human rights, he was transferred to the Ministry of the Interior and detained there for two hours without receiving an explanation of the reason for this action against him.
 Before the latest withholding, the chief editor of the website has forced to attend court hearings on the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Ministry of Defense related the issue of the publication, The trial, which coincides with another trial are subject the editor in a similar lawsuit brought by the Chief of the Doctrine of the armed forces because the issue of the publication too.
 The inflammatory campaign against the website remained rise along the last period in the government newspapers, military and media of the ruling party.

What we are exposed to come in regards of official comportment against the press, in general can be described as an oppression, repression and the confiscation of the rights and freedoms. This comportment is reached us and extended to another presses and journalists all over the country.

We urgently call upon all organizations, press and rightly institutions to solidarity with the “Al-Shoura Net” website, “Al-Shoura” press and “Voice of Al-Shoura”; stating that this solidarity practically by forcing the Yemeni government to unlock the ban of the website and two newspapers and stop the repression, violations and Commitment to the provisions of the Constitution, international covenant and the pledges made before the donors and supporters for the freedoms of democracy in Yemen.
By: Al-Shoura Stuff
Sana’a Feb 27,2007