“The trial of Hisham Bashrahil is a crime against journalism.”
This guy is on trial??? He’s the one whose house got shot up and one guard was killed after publishing news about the protests in the south. This is absurd. Another poster child for Yemen’s democracy.
On January 18, the Yemeni newspaper Al-Ayyan carried the following report: “Saira first degree court held its first sessions for three publishing cases filed against Al-Ayyam by Journalism and Publications Prosecution, on behalf of Abd al-Salam Shuwayter, head of Central Body for Censorship and Accountability, Hadramawt branch, and Himiar Abd al-Khalik and Adil Asbahi.
“Our colleague Hisham Bashrahil, the editor, and the defence, which comprised nine lawyers, stood before the court. The lawyers include Muhammad Mahmud Nasirr, Badr Salmin Basnid, Munir Abdallah Jaradah, Ali Abd al-Rahman A’uli, Salih Qasim Amri, Salih Ziban, Adnan Shaykh Mansur Jinaydi, Muhammad Abd al-Karim Amrawi, and Jasar Faruk Mikawi.
“When looking into the first case, the court found that the person attending the trial on behalf of the first plaintiff, Khalid Ahmad Basayid Barahma, was not a solicitor, or possess a proxy according to law, or license as a lawyer in cases of the state from the Ministry of Legal Affairs. The court did not look into the two other cases, filed by the other two plaintiffs due to their absence and because they did not bring any lawyers. The court adjourned the three cases to 14 January 2009.
“Zahra Salih, the political activist, made a statement about trying Al-Ayyam editor Hisham Bashrahil in which she said, “I denounce the trial of Al-Ayyam editor by the regime, the one who expresses free thoughts, Mr Hisham Bashrahil.
“We tell this regime that whatever they do and no matter how hard they tried, they can never make people who fight conspiracy and corruption, succumb. We say that the trial of Hisham Bashrahil is a crime against journalism committed by the regime. The attack on Bashrahil’s home and Al-Ayyam offices in Sanaa were enough signs, and lead to nothing but more support for Bashrahil’s family and Al-Ayyam newspaper by the public in general.”
