Everything you need to know about the reality of Yemen but were afraid to ask:
I think calcified is a good word to describe “governance” in Yemen. Beyond the lack of transition of executive power for thirty years, the entire ruling class has also been in place for decades. At most, they trade positions now and then in an extremely profitable and deadly game of musical chairs.
Wow. Jay Nordlinger attended the Oslo Freedom Forum, the human-rights conference in the Norwegian capital and wrote it up for the National Review. Among the speakers was Abdulkarim al Khaiwani). Abdulkarim has won several prestigious awards for his dedication to his ideals and his courage, in between being repeatedly kidnapped, beaten, bugged, smeared and jailed. He’s also an extremely talented writer.
Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani repeatedly appeals for solidarity. I mentioned him in this journal a few days ago — he is the journalist from Yemen who has endured kidnappings, beatings, imprisonment, and other ghastly things. Here in theater, he says that “living in Yemen is like being trapped on a hijacked plane.” Elections are never fair, and the judiciary is directly controlled by the presidency. It is “dangerous” to be a journalist in Yemen, he says — as his life has proven.
He mentions the prominent American journalist Thomas Friedman. He expresses disappointment: saying that Friedman came to Yemen and stuck close to the government, his hosts, without “going into the streets” or “meeting any journalists.” (I have no idea whether this charge is true.) He then says, “I would like to salute the American blogger Jane Novak, who learned about Yemen and led an international campaign to free me. Jane restored my faith in human beings.” He pleads with journalists in free countries to keep an eye on their colleagues in unfree countries, and yell as loud as they can when those colleagues are in danger.
He closes his remarks by saying, “I have made it a tradition to write an article entitled ‘We Shall Continue’ every time I leave prison. And I say to you now, ‘We shall continue.’”
That’s a very nice salute. Actually I led two campaigns to free him, 2005 and 2008, but who’s counting? I had a lot of help from the other bloggers and HAMSA was incredible in the second campaign. Al Khaiwani is absolutely correct that if journalists with rights focused the spotlight on the brutal targeting of journalists with no rights, the world would get better much faster. Information is power, and journalists and bloggers give it to the people. And what do we have? Olberman. The US media entirely ignores the plight of their colleagues abroad when they could do so much so easily.
Update: full Arabic text below
Khaiwani Oslo: failed democratic experience in Yemen.
الإثنين 10-05-2010 01:36 صباحا Monday 05/10/2010 1:36المصدر صحيفة النداء. Source newspaper appeal.
السلام عليكم.. Peace be upon you .. ونهاركم جميل كأوسلو Beautiful and a Good Kooslo
أولا أشكر منظمة العفو التي جاءت لتقديمي إليكم اليوم. First, I thank the Amnesty, which came to a presentation to you today.
- أولاً اسمحوا لي باسمي وباسم الصحفيين اليمنيين أن أوجه – First let me on my behalf and on behalf of Yemeni journalists to draw
الشكر لمنتدى أوسلو للحريات لإتاحة الفرصة لنقل واقع الحرب Thanks to the Oslo forum freedoms to allow for the transfer of the reality of war
التي تشن على الصحفيين اليمنيين. Being waged against Yemeni journalists. (Read on …)
IFJ : The IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, joined journalists in Yemen today in celebrating the presentation to their colleague Abdul Karim Al Khaiwani of Amnesty International’s Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat.
In delivering the award during the 4th congress of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate in Sana’a, IFJ President Jim Boumelha praised the bravery and resilience that Al Khaiwani has shown during his long ordeal. “Abdul Karim is a very special journalist.” He said. “He is one of those rare breeds of journalists, some of the bravest and the most determined – those who are prepared to sacrifice their personal and professional lives for the public good and to put their future and even the future of their families and children at risk in order to ensure that our profession remains one of the strongest backbones of our democracies.” (Read on …)
Lets recall that al Khaiwani was arrested as a personal vendetta by Saleh, beat up, his kid slapped, interrogated for a week, released and then kidnapped and really beat up badly, convicted and imprisoned for months, pardoned and re-convicted and now pardoned again. (This is not even counting what happened to him in 2004/5.) Its like battered wife syndrome translated to the national level, yes its nice the abuse stopped momentarily but its important not to lose sight of the over-riding fact that it never should have occurred in the first place.
And the announcement about freeing the broadcast media is getting old also; its about the fifth time I heard that in the last five years, nothing happens. More talk, headlines and propaganda and when the dust settles, journalists are still getting beat up, no new licenses or as we saw recently, the new TV channel goes to al Zindani… So it would be nice if true but Saleh’s words are meaningless, so lets see what happens before celebrating this announcement.
Yemen pardons opposition journalist facing jail
Yemen’s president said on Saturday he had pardoned an opposition journalist facing a six-year jail sentence for links to armed rebels. A Yemeni court last year convicted Abdelkarim al-Khaywani, editor of opposition newspaper al-Shura, to six years in jail after he was found carrying images and statements of the rebels.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced the pardon in a speech to a journalist union’s conference, in which he also called for new legislation to allow private television and radio stations and easing rules for the launch of new publications.
Battles with the Shi’ite Muslim rebels, which had raged on and off since 2004 in the north of the poor Arab country, subsided last year. Hundreds of people have been killed in the conflict and thousands have fled their homes.
Sunni Muslims form a majority of Yemen’s 19 million population, while most of the rest are Shi’ite Zaydis.
Several international journalists and rights orgs have made similiar statements on al Khaiwani’s behalf.
His Excellency Ali Abdullah Saleh
President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a, Republic of Yemen
3 February 2009Your Excellency,
We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum,
which represent 18,000 publications in 102 countries, to express our serious concern at the
upholding of a six-year jail sentence against journalist Abdel Karim Al Khaiwani, despite a
presidential pardon having been granted to him in September 2008.
According to reports, on 26 January Yemen’s Special Terrorist Court upheld a 6-year jail sentence
handed down to Mr Al Khaiwani on 9 June 2008. Mr Al Khaiwani, former editor-in-chief of the
Al-Shoura newspaper, had received a presidential pardon in September 2008 and had also
received assurances from the Minister of Justice and other officials that the case had been closed.
He had not been summoned to give evidence to the Special Terrorist Court, nor had he been
notified that the hearing was underway. The court reportedly did not consider Mr Al Khaiwani’s
appeal against the initial sentence. (Read on …)
This poor guy al-Khaiwani gets targeted so much, he has his own catagory.Menassat
CAIRO, January 29, 2009 (ANHRI/IFEX) — The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) strongly denounces the 26 January 2009 decision by Yemen’s Special Terrorism Court upholding the initial sentence against prominent journalist Abdel Karim Al Khaiwani to six years in prison, originally leveled against him in June 2008. This decision is contrary to the presidential pardon the journalist received in September, and formal assurances from the Minister of Justice and other judicial officials that the case had been closed.
The court upheld the 6-year prison sentence against Al Khaiwani who was charged with being a member of a terrorist cell and part of the Al Houthi faction. According to Al Khaiwani, he had not been summoned to a court session and had not been notified that the trial was underway. Moreover, the court did not consider an appeal filed by the defense against the severity of the initial sentence passed on 9 June, despite the fact that the hearing had been documented by several local and international media. (Read on …)
In a stunning development Monday, Yemen’s Special Terrorism Court upheld the guilty verdict against journalist Abdulkarim al Khaiwani. The journalist had been pardoned by President Saleh on September 25, 2008 after spending months in jail.
Monday’s ruling affirmed Mr. Al Khaiwani’s conviction on the charges of “disseminating pro-rebel propaganda to local and foreign media” with the intent of adversely affecting “the morale of the military” and creating a social disturbance.
Mr. Al Khaiwani was the subject of a massive international campaign after he was arrested in July 2007 and falsely accused of “terrorism”. The state’s evidence consisted of journalistic materials-article notes and some photos. He was imprisoned June 9, 2008 after being sentenced to six years in jail. As the CPJ noted, “the case against al-Khaiwani was seen as retaliation for his criticism of the government’s fight against the rebels and his writing about government nepotism.”
Al Khaiwani was caught unawares by Monday’s ruling and expressed amazement at the outcome of the appeal trial. He noted that he had received a presidential pardon and formal assurances from the Minister of Justice and other judicial officials that the issue is closed.
Al Khaiwani said he did not receive any summons to attend the court hearing and had not received any notice of the continuation of the trial. “The court did not consider the appeal submitted by my defense relating to the change in the severity of the sentence after it was issued. We have documented with both audio and video evidence that the terms of sentence was increased after the original ruling in court,” he added.
Al-Khaiwani remains free at the moment and it is unclear what may follow; however the terrorism conviction is sure to substantially impact his future travels and employment.
***This is a sticky scroll down for newer posts***
That’s callled being a journalist you, you, Dictotards! From what I understand from the local media, the other people were bringing medicine into Saada after the government blockaded everything. The government just randomly attached al Khaiwani to the case. Youze a terrist now boy! Anyway what happened today is the appeals court upheld all the convictions. The court upheld the death sentence on one of the “cell”. So what does this mean that Al-Khaiwani is convicted? Its probably to hold over his head as a threat.
Pro-rebel? This from the criminal government that is engaged in collective punishment of the civilian population and belongs in front of the ICC. Oh, lets just call it a jihad, a much more bling-ish description and quite appropriate considering the government is using terrorists to fight the Shiite rebels and starving and bombing the civilian population. And if the international humanitarian organizations want to know why they are just not getting access, they could look back to my 2005 article about the allegations of chemical weapons use in Sa’ada. This remains an unresolved question.
Sana’a, Yemen - Also involved in the case was Abdul-Kareem al-Khaiwani, former editor of the Shura opposition weekly, who had previously received a six-year jail sentence. He was convicted of disseminating pro-rebel propaganda to local and foreign media. Al-Khaiwani served eight months of his term before President Ali Abdullah Saleh pardoned him last year.
Update: GOOD! The stooge regime media is not mentioning him at all. Probably just a formality.
News Yemen: The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a on Monday upheld the death penalty against one of al-Houthi’s supporters and terms in jail against other 13 members charged with forming “al-Houthi Second Cell”, including journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani.
واقع الحرية وكلفتها … الثمن الباهض ..*
عبد الكريم محمد الخيواني – اليمن
عنوان محور هذه الجلسة يعفيني من بذل أية محاولة للإقناع بالواقع السيء الذي تعيشه الصحافة الناقدة والحقوق المدنية، أو مدى التضييق على حرية الصحافة، أوالقمع والانتهاك الممنهج ضد الصحفيين وأصحاب الرأي والناشطين الحقوقيين في غالبية الدول العربية، وكون هذه القناعة قاسماً مشتركاً فإنها لا تعني التسليم بهذه الأوضاع وإنما السعي الجاد لتغييرها. ونقاشنا لواقعنا يأتي في هذا الاتجاه.
لم تأت حرية الصحافة صدفة في أي بلد وإنما نتيجة نضال وحراك ومطالبة وضغوط وتضحيات حقيقية، عبرت عن تطور اجتماعي وسياسي وثقافي. وهذا التطور والحراك في واقعنا يتصادم مع جمود النظام الرسمي العربي الذي قصارى أمنياته المحافظة على واقعه الراهن كما هو عليه كسمة من سمات وخصائص المنهج الوظيفي الملتزم به، ولعل ذلك ما يفسر حرصه على إفراغ أي عملية تطوير من مضمونها، والقبول بالتطوير والتغيير شكلاً ليعزز من شرعية أو استمرار أو مصلحة هذا النظام أو ذاك دون أن يؤدي إلى تغيير حقيقي في النتيجة.
هكذا أرادت (وتريد )الأنظمة الرسمية العربية: ديمقراطية لا تفضي إلى دولة مؤسسات؛ وانتخابات؛ لا تفضي إلى تداول سلمي للسلطة؛ وحرية صحافة لا تنتقد الفساد والأخطاء؛ ولا تحترم الحقيقة أو عقلية المتلقي، ومنظمات مجتمع مدني لا تؤدي وظائفها الااصيلة وتدافع عن الحقوق ولا تدين الانتهاكات ….الخ، أي تريدها مجرد ديكور لا أكثر.
ومع الاعتراف بوجود استثناءات عربية محدودة؛ أود أن ألفت النظر إلى ما يلي: (Read on …)
Sponsored by Hands Across the Middle East Support Alliance and the American Islamic Congress. From what I can gather, al-Khaiwani is a judge, that’s neat.
الممثل خالد أبو النجا والخيواني ضمن لجنة التحكيم
مسابقة “الحلم المؤجل” الرابعة … جوائز للشباب عن مقالات الحقوق المدنية..
تنظم منظمة للعام الرابع على التوالي مسابقة الحلم المؤجل الذي تقدمها منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي الأميركي للشباب دون سن السادسة والعشرين في الشرق الاوسط يتنافس فيها شباب المنطقة على كتابة مقالات عن الحرية والحقوق المدنية ووصف احلامهم المؤجلة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط التي تصفها الأمم المتحدة بأنها أقل مناطق العالم حرية.
ووفقا لقواعد المسابقة فإنه ينبغي على الشباب الكتابة في احدى ثلاثة محاور: الأول الرد على سؤال لماذا تعد الحقوق الفردية مهمة بالنسبة لك؟ يستعرض فيها الكاتب تجربة شخصية منعته فيها القيود من التعبير عن نفسك – كموقف منعه فيه الخوف من الحديث بصراحة, أو كنت منعه من الإطلاع على معلومات كونها ممنوعة بأمر من الرقابة, أو أنه كان هدفاُ للتمييز العنصري بسبب الهوية, وينبغي على الكاتب أن يناقش هذا السؤال من خلال تناول تأثير القمع على المجتم و على حياته الشخصية, مستعينا بأمثلة حية لشرح وجهة نظره، ويمكنه قراءة قصيدة الحلم المؤجل (عنوان المسابقة) لانجستون هيوز لمزيد من الإلهام.
المحور الثاني : كيف تستطيع كفرد دعم الكفاح من أجل الحقوق المدنية؟ على الرغم من تفشي القمع, تتاح الآن فرصا جديدة للتعبير عن رأيك و الوقوف في وجه الظلم, فإن توافرت لك الوسائل التكنولوجية الحديثة و الإنترنت و مساعدة الآخرين في الدول الأخرى المهتمين بالقضية, كيف يمكنك أخذ المبادرة العملية لإصلاح مجتمعك, أطلعنا على أفكارك الخلاقة بشأن الحملات و البرامج الهادفة إلى حماية الحقوق الفردية.
المحور الثالث: ما هو “حلمك المؤجل” أي رؤيتك لمجتمعك حيث يمتلك فيه الكل حقوقهم المدنية؟ أعرض أفكارك حول مستقبل يخلو من القمع. صف ما يجري الآن في الشوارع و النقاشات في الفصول الدراسية و النقد العلني للزعماء في وسائل الإعلام. صف كيف يمكن أن تؤثر المساواة في الحقوق للمرأة و الأقليات على مجريات الحياة اليومية. إن كنت تريد، أجب السؤال بكتابة مقال صحفي في سنة2010 معلقاً فيه على حدث جذري.
ويشترط للدخول في المسابقة أن لا يزيد طول المقال عن 2000 كلمة ولا يقل عن 600 كلمة، لا تدخل فيها الهوامش والاقتباسات، وبإمكان الراغبين في الاطلاع زيارة موقع مبادرة همسه للحقوق المدنية للاطلاع على المقالات الفائزة في العام الماضي لكسب المزيد من الالهام وذلك على الرابط التالي: http://www.hamsaweb.org/essay/ar-index.html، وعبر ذات الموقع يمكن ارسال المقالة..
وتعرض المقالات على هيئة التحكيم التي تضم عددا من المهتمين أبرزهم زينب السويج رئيس منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي الأميركي، والممثل السينمائي المصري ومقدم البرامج خالد أبو النجا، والصحفي اليمني عبدالكريم الخيواني والمفكر العالمي الدكتور توم بالمر من جامعة كاتو، وآخرين..
وتقدر الجائزة الأولى بمبلغ 2000 دولار لأفضل مقالة، والثانية 1500 دولار، والثالثة 500 دولار، بالاضافة إلى عدد من الكتب والاصدارات المتعلقة بالحقوق المدنية، كما سيكون أصحاب المقالات من بين المدعوين لحضور فعاليات وانشطة منظمة المؤتمر الاسلامي التي تقام سنويا في بعض دول الشرق الأوسط كالأردن والمغرب ومصر، وآخر يوم لتقديم المقالات هو التاسع من يناير 2009.
Four empty seats and a shouting match
Created 12/12/2008 – 19:52
BEIRUT, December 12, 2008 (MENASSAT) — When the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum was opened at Beirut’s Monroe Hotel on Friday, there were four empty seats. They belonged to Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan; Mazen Darwish, director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression; and journalist Litfi Hidouri and human rights lawyer and writer Mohamed Abbou, both from Tunisia. They were all stopped by local authorities before leaving their home countries to attend the two-day conference, organized annually by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar.
No Syrians
In his opening remarks, Said Essoulami, executive director of the Center for Media Freedom MENA in Morocco, remarked on the missing participants.
“Retaliations such as assassination and imprisonment have been reduced because there are new ways of controlling journalists, such as what happened with our colleagues who could not come,” Essoulami said. “In fact, every journalist invited from Syria could not come.” (Read on …)
Good News
Saba: SANA’A, Dec. 04 (Saba) – Journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani is now allowed to head for Egypt to attend a human right conference after he was blocked last Sunday from traveling by the Passport Administration at the Sana’a International Airport.
The conference would be hosted by the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights and sponsored by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).
Al-Khaiwani was blocked last Sunday by the Passport Administration at the Sana’a International Airport from traveling to Egypt on the grounds he was sentenced to jail.
Al-Khaiwani told the newsyemen.net that the General Prosecution has issued a circular based on a letter from the head of the Yemeni Journalist Syndicate Nasr Taha Mustapha to take his name off the list of those prevented from traveling abroad.
He added the circular was sent to all concerned security authorities.
The circular clarified that journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani was among those blocked from traveling abroad as he was on trial, but he was now freed.
The General Prosecution also ordered to allow al-Khaiwani to travel and stop hindering him.
In this context, Mustapha said he personally spoke to judicial authorities to cooperate with the journalist, saying I called the Attorney General who instructed the Specialized Penal Court to talk to the Passport Administration to allow Khaiwani travel.
Journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani was sentenced earlier to six years in prison in connection with convictions related to supporting the rebellion in the northern province of Saada.
But he was later pardoned and released by President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s orders.
Interview with al-Khaiwani in Menassat:
SANAA, December 4, 2008 (MENASSAT)—Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, 43, has been working for over fifteen years in Yemen, where he has faced blatant censorship, including a four-year ban on his work. Al-Khaiwani has been in and out of prison, interrogated, threatened, harassed, and beaten for his writings.
He wrote about issues such as the abuse of power in the government, corruption in the economic and petroleum sectors, the human rights violations in North Yemen against followers of the insurgent Hussein Al-Houthi, and prisoners’ rights.
In 2004, the journalist took a lead position in the editorial staff of the opposition paper Al-Shoura, and in December he was sentenced to one year in jail for insulting the president. He ended up serving only seven months thanks to international and local pressure to release him.
Three years later, on June 20, 2007, al-Khaiwani’s house was raided and he was officially charged with “plotting to topple the ruling regime.” He served one month in jail and ended up writing a report on prison culture in Yemen. He was released and pardoned because of health problems.
At the time, rumors circulated that al-Khaiwani had to promise to renounce all “anti-government activity” in exchange for his release. But upon his release, al-Khaiwani said he had made no promises, and that he would continue to work “within the law and the constitution.”
So the travel ban does not come as a big surprise, especially since Al-Khaiwani was invited to attend the 3rd Arab Free Press Forum, which takes place in Beirut on December 12-13.
MENASSAT: Did you expect this ban?
ABDULKARIM AL-KHAIWANI: “After I got out of jail, I heard from some people with official connections that I would face some difficulties when traveling. But it was difficult to be sure until I went to the airport.
“When I reached the airport [on November 30], I found that my name was still on the black list without any directions having been given to remove it. I tried to convince the airport security forces that I had received a presidential pardon, but they didn’t receive any clear directions to allow me to travel.
“We started hearing other news about the possibility of my being arrested again, similar to what happened in November 2006. Then, I was banned from traveling to participate in a regional conference in Morocco. I was taken from the airport straight to the Interior Ministry.”
MENASSAT: What does this ban mean?
“It means that I’m subject to house arrest.”
MENASSAT: Does it also mean your file is not closed yet?
“The file was supposed to be closed by a presidential decision, but the ban means that the decision is only suspended and still open for some time. There is no legal problem, but it means that my constitutional rights, including the freedom to travel and the freedom of movement, have been taken away from me. It might be just an administrative, procedural or technical mistake, but there has not been any official statement released about this.”
MENASSAT: Why do you think they won’t let you travel outside Yemen?
“There are some who don’t want me to participate in any regional human rights or media conference, because they know that I will speak out about the human rights abuses and the lack of freedom in my country.
“But if the ban is used as an attempt to prevent me from revealing facts to others, it will not be useful, since the lack of freedom in Yemen is no longer a mystery. There are organizations, newspapers and websites noting everything that it happening. But some still think that they are doing the regime a favor by banning me from traveling. The fact is that they are harming the regime.”
MENASSAT: Is this some sort of a punishment?
“Yes.”
MENASSAT: Have you tried to challenge the authorities over your travel ban?
“I sent a memo to the general attorney and he answered to the specialized criminal court, saying there is no reason for banning me from traveling. But there wasn’t anybody in the court that day; it was the end of working hours and the beginning of the holidays. Until now, we didn’t get any official reactions.”
MENASSAT: Has this ban made you doubt the presidential pardon?
“This is a question for the president. This action makes me doubt the decision and the presidential pardon. I think there is something missing here, and that the president should be forced to defend his decisions and policies. This matter will erase the trust and credibility, which is based on following and defending the law. What is happening tarnishes our image.”
MENASSAT: What do you expect will happen now?
“I still feel that I’m in danger and my situation is difficult, especially on the family and social levels.”
MENASSAT Do you think you might be arrested again?
“I hope not—for my sake and for my country’s. But I think everything is possible… It is a serious and dangerous situation. The biggest question is: where are we going?”
Al-Khaiwani was scheduled to speak on a panel called : Oblique Government Tactics that Impede a Free Arab Press when he was stopped at the airport. So this is one tactic: Not to let them travel. The rest of the Yemeni delegation has an impromptu sit-in in solidarity and none of them went. Its amazing how terrified the Yemeni government is of free speech. Poor al-Khaiwani gets targeted so much, he has his own category. The whole country is a giant prison.
Yemeni National Security at the Sana’a International Airport on Sunday barred journalist AbdulKarim from heading for Cairo of Egypt to participate in a conference organized by the National Council for Human Rights in cooperation with the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner.
MP Shawqi al-Qadhi, lawyer Mohammad Naji Alaw, editor of al-Nida weekly Sami Ghalib, former chairman of the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate AbdulBari Taher and rights activist Afra’a al-Hariri were also barred to leave with al-Khaiwani. They condemned this “illegal” demeanor and staged a sit-in at the airport for hours.
Rights activists said the airport security’s behavior was a violation of laws and constitution as al-Khaiwani has been pardoned by President Saleh and all convictions against him have been canceled.
A source in the National Security said that banning al-Khaiwani from travel was on a request of the Passports Department at the airport.
Head of Yemeni Lawyers Syndicate, Abdullah Rajeh, said nobody has the right to prevent al-Khaiwani from traveling after he was given an amnesty for all charges against him.
The Arab Sisters Forum has condemned this “aggressive” action against al-Khaiwani who has become free after the president’s pardon.
“We are responsible for securing a better future for our children. I am just a man who sticks to his views and believes in power of his words and nonviolent actions.”
He will keep writing he says to the Yemen Times:
SANA’A, Oct. 5 — Journalist Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani narrated his ordeal while serving a five-month imprisonment term for his writing and undertook to continue his activities in defense of human rights and press freedoms in Yemen. This came during an interview with the Yemen Times following his release from the Sana’a-based Central Prison.
“I was jailed by a false verdict after the regime questioned me over my writings, opinions and human rights and democratic activities for which I was awarded the ‘Special Award for Journalists Under Threat’ by Amnesty International. The court verdict reflects retaliation by the government against any journalists known for their criticism of its policies” Al-Khaiwani said in reply to a question about why he was jailed. (Read on …)
الاخ ناصر
العزيزة داليا
ادناه رسالة من عبدالكريم للمتضامنين على مجموعة الفايس بوك ..
تحياتيالعزيز سامي
نسيت ارسل شكر للمتضامنين في همسه…
واعتقدت ان توجيه الشكر الى ناصر وزينب كافي لأني اعتقدت ان اصحابالتوقيعات لايدخلون الى الموقع كل حين لكن وجدت انه من اللازم توجيه شكر الى الاخوة الاعزاء في الفايس بوك…
اقرأ وراجع وصحح بعدي .. انا راكن عليك ، وشوف اكيد يحتاج انجليزي، نسق مع صديقنا ناصر او داليا …
Dear Friends, the supporters of the freedom of expression in Yemen, and the Arabic world,
I highly appreciate the solidarity, and support from all journalists, activists, and interested persons from all over the world.. I assert that my release is a large achievement of your support.. I consider you all as parteners for The Yemeni journalists, and Human rights orgs in Yemen and outside it..I confirm that you made a very important pressure on the regime and it made the real release..
I am very happy for civil movement in the world.. It is very important to think of others suffer many restrictions on their rights.. I highly appreciate the efforts of the American Islamic Congress, HAMSA iniative, and there supporters, which made an important and influential efforts regarding observing issue and gathering the needed support to release me..
I highly appreciate your support and to Yemen, which really needs to this supports to establishing the freedom and Human rights values.. Your standing is very important , to improve our societies, and and enhance the continueing trivets..
Special thank to the American journalist and activist Jane Novak who cares about the Yemeni situations five years ago.. She is a real modal for the ideal activism toward the growing societies.. Thanks a lot for Jane.. Thanks a lot for all.
I love writing that.
SANA’A, NewsYemen
Yemeni imprisoned journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani left the Central Prison on Thursday after President Saleh gave him amnesty and canceled a six-year sentence issued by a primary court three months ago.
After leaving prison, al-Khaiwani told NY that his release is “a victory for all Yemeni journalist and civil society organizations and human rights advocates”.
Al-Khaiwani declined that security authorities have demanded him to sign any obligation before leaving the prison, but said they have asked him to commit to law and constitution. “I have assured them that I was always committed to law and constitution”, said al-Khaiwani.
Al-Khaiwani expressed his gratitude to his colleague journalists and rights activists.
“I am proud to belong to journalists who can defend democracy”.Yemeni Journalists Syndicate welcomed the presidential amnesty.
Al-Khaiwani was sentenced to six years in jail for allegedly supporting rebels in Sa’ada, north of Yemen and insulting President Saleh.
Local and international organizations have condemned the imprisonment of al-Khaiwani including the Amnesty International that has awarded him the 2008 award for “Journalists under Threat”.
I’d really like to thank everyone at Jawa who helped and the ladies of the Cotillion who really did a wonderful job highlighting the petition and the case. A remarkable grass roots coalition they call it in the article. (No astroturfing here!)
The people at HAMSA who set up the petition, organized the facebook group and helped me with the media (akkk!) really deserve a lot of credit. Thirty-seven international human rights organizations and a variety of civil society groups in Yemen kept up the pressure since June when al-Khaiwani was sentenced to six years for writing an article that “made the military sad” as my son called it.
Anyway for the second time in my life I have a post called Al-Khaiwani Sprung. (There’s a few people around, including Rusty, who remember when we did this the first time in 2005.)
BOSTON, Sept. 25 AIC-Yemen-Journalist
Weddady: “A Great Day for Free Expression in the Middle East.”
BOSTON, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Islamic Congress (AIC) today hailed news that leading Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani has been pardoned after more than three months in prison on charges of “insulting the president.”
AIC has campaigned for al-Khaiwani’s release since June, generating over 1,600 letters to Yemeni officials from free speech supporters around the world (http://campaigns.aicongress.org/yemen).
“This is a great day for freedom of expression in the Middle East,” said Nasser Weddady, AIC’s Civil Rights Outreach Director. “A pioneering Arab journalist who stuck to his principles is once again a free man.”
“Freedom is not a gift, and the struggle is for everyone,” al-Khaiwani said in a statement to AIC following his release. He left prison just before 4 pm local time and returned home, reuniting with his family. (Read on …)
!!!!!!!
Thats GOOD NEWS.
President Saleh pardons al-Khaiwani
[25 September 2008]
SANA’A, Sep. 25 (Saba) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh has ordered to cancel the sentence issued against the journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, the state-run 26 September reported on Thursday.
Well-informed sources told the Weekly that al-Khaiwani would be released in the coming few hours after signing the required pledges to abide by to the Constitution and laws in force and not to stir up sectarianism, regionalism strife or undermine the national unity, security and public order.
The president’s pardon to al-Khaiwani came after issuing directions on 9 September to free the detainees in link to stirring up sectarianism, regionalism strife on the occasion of Ramadan in addition to release a number of detainees involved on Saada rebellion
Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani was received a sentence of six years last June in the case of Sana’a Second Cell.
Yemen’s president Ali Abduallah Saleh has ordered the release of imprisoned journalist, Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, the opposition “Al-Eshteraki” is reporting.
Mr. Al-Khaiwani, a noted regime critic, received a six year sentence in June, on purported “terror” charges. A global campaign eventually merged the efforts of 37 journalists organizations, Yemeni activists, American bloggers and civil rights groups. Al-Khaiwani was awarded Amnesty International’s Human Rights Media Award after his imprisonment in recognition of his work covering the humanitarian costs of a little known conflict in Yemen’s northern Sa’ada province. Earlier this month, Yemen denied a visa to the president of the International Journalist’s Federation, Jim Boumelha, who intended to award the honor to Mr. al-Khaiwani in his jail cell.
Al-Khaiwani was supposed to be included in the prior release of political prisoners this month that included comedian Fahd al-Qarni and Socialist Party leader Hassan Baoum according to a dialog between Yemen’s opposition parties and its ruling GPC party. However, while these prominent dissidents and nearly a thousand southern protesters were granted their freedom, al-Khaiwani remains behind bars. It is unclear if the reports of al-Khaiwani’s impending release are grounded in fact, or just another of the GPC’s bargaining tactics in the lead up to Yemen’s 2009 Parliamentary elections.
Update: YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its true. He’s not released yet but its true and in process.
WOW!!!! Man, that’s going to make waves. The IFJ represents over 600,00 journalists in 122 countries worldwide
Yemen refuses granting entry visa to IFJ President
SANA’A, Sep. 14 (Saba)- A senior Yemeni official said on Sunday Yemen’s government had apologized officially to grant an entry visa to President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Jim Boumelha to visit Yemen.
The IFJ President was planning to hand over Yemeni journalist Abdelkarim al-Khaiwani an award of Amnesty International.
In a press release, Chairman of Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) Nasr Taha Mustafa said that the IFJ had expressed understanding of the government’s step, canceling the visit which was scheduled to take place next month.
Mustafa confirmed the YJS is monitoring the issue of Abdul Karim al-Khaywani, hoping al-Khaywani to be released soon.
The IFJ has congratulated Yemeni journalist Abdelkarim Al Khaiwani winner of Amnesty International’s Sepcial Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat and renewed its call for journalist organisations around the world to support al-Khaiwani as he challenges a six-year jail sentence handed down by a Yemeni court.
Not still in jail? But he’s the highest profile political prisoner… I hope Dear Leader is not holding a personal grudge. It shows though the limited power of the JMP canbe effectively deployed when there is international attention, like on the upcoming parliamentary “elections”.
President asks to set al-Qarni free
SANA’A, Sep. 11 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave orders on Thursday to set Fahd al-Qarni free after getting promises from him that he will comply with law and national principles.
Tazi court has found al-Qarni is guilty in change of calling for riots and resistance against the state. The court sentenced him one year and half in prison and have to pay half million as fine.
Opposition and human rights sources initially said a senior socialist figure, Hassan Baoum, remained behind bars, but opposition politicians later said he was freed on Thursday evening.
The official website of the Yemeni defence ministry said Saleh pardoned 12 people who were released after pledging to uphold the law, including Baoum, a member of the political bureau of the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP). (Read on …)
The level of media repression may be a determining factor in whether Yemen avoids the threat of state failure. The Yemeni government suffers from entrenched corruption in nearly every office, a legacy of traditional patron/client relationships. Demands for transparency threaten the substantial patrimonial networks associated with access to the government budget.
More than 20% of state funds go to the administrative expenses of the Presidency and Parliament. A quarter of the Yemeni budget is allocated to the military as a line item. Another third of the budget is spent on diesel subsidies. Beyond the misappropriation of state funds, members of the administration also spin off criminal enterprises using advantages gained from their official positions.
In Yemen’s pervasively corrupt environment, investigative reporting is challenging the conditions that undermine efforts at wider economic and political reform. The Supreme National Authority for Combating Corruption credits journalists with uncovering the vast majority of cases in its docket. The NGO, “Journalists Against Corruption”, recently documented financial malfeasance in every governmental ministry.
This investigative journalism is an agent of change on a social level as well. Published reporting on corruption has somewhat reduced the culture of fear. Corruption is now a topic more available for public discussion.
International efforts in working with the Yemeni government on the issue from the top down are augmented by the efforts of the journalists working from the bottom up. As the CPJ noted, “During the last three years, opposition newspapers have smashed political taboos by criticizing rampant government corruption…”
However, red lines exist for journalists wherever there is money and crime. One Yemeni journalist defines the taboo topics as the President, his family and close associates, oil revenues, oil smuggling, military budgets, corporate nepotism, and the naming of corrupt officials or their activities.
Journalists faced hundreds of attacks from 2005-2007. No investigations occurred. Of 301 instances of media repression, 96 were committed by the National Security Organization, including physical assaults, arbitrary imprisonment, property vandalism and theft, kidnapping and death threats. Ninety-five violations were perpetrated by the Ministry of Information including revoking licenses, prohibiting the printing or circulation of newspapers, fines and judicial proceeding. The Interior Ministry committed 54 violations, the PSO 45 and the military 11. Powerful non-state actors brought lawsuits against journalists and sometimes subjected them to assaults. As reports on corruption triggered retaliation, Yemeni journalists turned to technology and international rights groups to amplify their message. (Read on …)
Nice editorial from the Yemen Times
Ramdan Kareem Ya Khaiwani
Now that today is the first day of the holy month of Ramdan, automatically the hearts and behaviors of most Muslims soften. Today as I think of my friends and family and congratulate them on the Holy Month, my heart goes out to my collogue Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani who will be keeping fast (if his health permits) and spending Eid behind bars for no legitimate reason.
Al-Khaiwani is probably the most famous Yemeni journalist of today who has been continuously harassed and taken to prison more than once. He has become a legend and a hero to many Yemeni journalists.
Some of us don’t dare to write about the things he had written, and some don’t agree with his ideas. Some even think he was mad to have put himself out there as a brave and perhaps rash journalist considering he knew the consequences.
But he still did it, and has no regrets, or so he says.
When he was out of prison last year we had a talk and I asked him why he was doing this, making an enemy of the government. He said someone has to do it, someone has to stand up and say no.
I was impressed and sad in the same time. It meant that he would continue on this path regardless.
The sentence he received was not fair at all. It was not even legally valid. He was accused of being a terrorist because he had photos of the war in Sa’ada.
In the security’s eyes, AL-Khaiwani was a terrorist because he had good contacts with people involved in the war. It is similar to Sami Al-Haj Al-Jazeerah correspondent who was jailed in Spain for so many years because of his connections.
Is there freedom of press in Yemen? I used to say there is to an extent. Today now that my friend is still behind bars I am not sure this will still be my answer. I guess now I would say there is no press freedom in Yemen, not while Al-Khaiwani and other journalists like him are behind bars.
I also want to ask where the presidential instructions that no journalists should be imprisoned are? If the president can simply say the war in Sa’ada is over and the war stops, why can’t he say release Al-Khaiwani and get return him home to his family? It is either the president doesn’t have enough power or does not want Al-Khaiwani out and both are not acceptable, at least not to me.
So here goes a prayer and a salute to Al-Khaiwani who is imprisoned without adequate medication or health services and who will most probably not only spend Ramdan and Eid Al-Fitr in prison, but also will not be with us when a 2008 folds and a new year begins.
Protestors carrying placards highlighting the plight of jailed journalists will be out and about in King Street, Hammersmith.
They will be part of a protest by Hammersmith and Fulham Amnesty International which is setting up a booth on Saturday, August 30 from 10.30am to 4pm.
The campaigners will focus on cases in the Yemen, Iran and Uzbekistan where journalists have been imprisoned.
These include that of Yemeni Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani who was due to visit London on 17th June to receive an Amnesty award for human rights journalism from BBC correspondent Alan Johnston.
He could not attend, having just been sentenced to six years in prison for his articles criticising government policy.
This month, imprisoned Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani gave an interview to a Qatari paper from jail. After it was published, prison officials threatened to kill him. They threw a rat in his cell and denied him all communication with his family. Al-Khaiwani who suffers heart disease and rampant diabetes has been denied his necessary medicines for ten days.
In his interview, he discussed his imprisonment and his experience over the last four years with the Yemeni judiciary.
AL-ARAB: First, can we know about the background of your imprisonment?
ABDULKARIM AL-KHAIWANI: The decision for my imprisonment came from the highest levels of government, instructions from above that derailed any real course of justice, from fabricated charges, to non-incriminating evidence such as compact discs and articles that were never published, to an unfounded verdict. All this was topped off with a legal flair – with the last paragraph of my sentence, which essentially insured the immediate effectiveness of my sentence. It was not something the judge himself ordered, but it was there, recorded by the cameras of thirteen different channels and news agencies.
AL-ARAB: Were you expecting a six-year prison sentence?
ABDULKARIM AL-KHAIWANI: My experience with the judiciary made me prepared for jail time, and what’s more, I knew the judiciary was not independent, and the court was an exceptional state security court, known to aim for convictions only… I knew it would be a court that did not look into the case or the defense prepared by the lawyers – no matter how good they were, or their arguments were. I was prepared.
A member of the former presidential committee for ending the war in Sa’da [a separatist region in north Yemen, Ed.], Abdo Al-Jindi, spoke live on Al-Jazeera a few months ago and said he would issue a verdict against me, convicting me.
Al-Jindi also expressed amusement about the terrorist charge that I was being convicted of, and I knew to expect that this was coming from some official side, and not from an independent judiciary with integrity.
Still, I had hoped that the judiciary would work to gain people’s trust by issuing just verdicts, especially in this case that has had such an impact on public opinion. But it seems that no one cares; they are just angered by the truth.
AL-ARAB: You appeared surprised in the media when the sentence was pronounced, as if you did not expect such a sentence? (Read on …)
Yay!!!
CYNON Valley MP Ann Clwyd has asked the Foreign Office to do what it can to free a Yemeni journalist from jail, writes Mike Prosser.
She told Foreign Office Minister and fellow South Wales Valleys MP Kim Howells “The Yemeni constitution guarantees freedom of expression, but in reality that is not the case.
“Will you take up the case of Yemeni journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who was sentenced to six years imprisonment on June 9,” she said.
“Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience, as he has been convicted and sentenced solely because of something he wrote.
Mr Howells, responding to the Cynon Valley MP in the House of Commons, said: “I would be only too glad to take up this case.”
Issued by Article 19:
We, the undersigned organisations promoting and defending freedom of
expression worldwide, join ARTICLE 19 in condemning the deteriorating
state of freedom of expression in Yemen.
Yemen has made some progress in the human rights field over recent years
since its accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights in 1987. Notably, civil society organisations, including NGOs
addressing human rights and social issues, have expanded and developed in
the country. Furthermore, the independent and opposition-supporting
newspapers which have been established have adopted a critical stance
towards state authorities, previously unheard of in the region.
Despite these positive developments, Yemen, a country where the
government has taken various measures to support the USA’s so-called “war
on terror”, has carried out hundreds of arrests of individuals suspected of
being members of Al Qaida. In the process, the authorities, mainly through
the security forces, have harassed, interrogated and occasionally even
detained journalists who had covered these arrests. After being warned
against reporting on these “security issues”, journalists first started to selfcensor
themselves out of a fear of being accused of supporting terrorism.
After a decrease in the number of arrests, journalists then began to reassert
their rights to freedom of expression. As a consequence they have faced a
fresh round of harassment, physical assaults, arrests and detention by
security forces which have been supported by the judiciary. This pattern of
repression, which peaked in 2005, continues at an alarming rate. Indeed, the
high number of violations recorded in the first half of 2008 demonstrates the
extent to which the right to freedom of expression has been eroded in
Yemen.
“ARTICLE 19 is alarmed by the serious undermining of freedom of expression in
Yemen,” says Dr. Agnès Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director. “We reiterate our
condemnation of the current conditions in Yemen that clearly violate Yemen’s
international obligations on freedom of expression”. ARTICLE 19 and the undersigned
organisations remain concerned about the following:
- In March 2008, the Ministry of Information ordered a ban on the newspaper “Al-Sabah”
for allegedly “threatening Yemeni unity and public order”.
- In April 2008, the Minister of Information withdrew the license of “Al-Wasat”, a daily,
for allegedly “threatening national unity”. The decision was later revoked in court.
- On 11 June 2008, the Yemeni State Security Court sentenced Abdelkarim Al-Khaiwani,
editor in chief of “Al-Shoura” to six years in prison. In a case perceived to be politically
motivated, Al-Khaiwani was tried for his coverage of the war in Sa’ada province which
was alleged to be a terrorist offence. In July, the court suddenly amended his verdict by
adding the phrase “expedited implementation”, thus obscuring the possibilities for his
appealing the earlier decision. On July 29, the Criminal Court decided to delay looking
into a request by Al-Khaiwani’s defence team to release him. The court session has been
postponed until November 2008. This decision has been criticised by lawyers in Yemen
as a significant violation of proper procedures.
- On 22 June 2008, Mohamed al-Mokaleh was sentenced by the Yemeni State Security
Court to a six-month suspended term in prison for “attacking and defaming the judicial
system” after bursting into laughter during the trial of Al-Khaiwani. Al-Mokaleh is the
General Secretary of the Socialist Party and a well-known critic of the Yemeni
government. He had already served two months in jail and was released on 22 June.
- On 9 July 2008, comedian-singer Fahd al-Qarni was sentenced to 18 months
imprisonment and a fine of YR 500,000 (approximately US$2,500) for “insulting
Yemen’s President, Ali Abdullah Saleh.” Al-Qarni had been targeted in the past. In July
2006, members of the Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested vendors of his cassette in
an effort to curtail its circulation. The cassette combines traditional folk compositions
with humour and criticism of the government’s policies. In addition, there have been
numerous attacks against journalists and activists outside the courts: earlier this year
YemenPortal.net was blocked by the authorities; Tawakkol Karman, director of the NGO
Women Journalists Without Chains, has received anonymous death threats; and activists
who were peacefully protesting against the above-mentioned court cases have been
harassed and have had their documenting equipment seized by the authorities.
We, the undersigned members of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange
(IFEX), reiterate our deepest concern over the continued undermining of the individual
human right to freedom of expression in Yemen and urge the Yemeni authorities to
reaffirm and live up to Yemen’s international human rights commitments, in particular
Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Yemen is also a
signatory to the Arab Charter on Human Rights which guarantees freedom of expression.
Moreover, the Yemeni government made public commitments to the protection of human
rights through its National Reform Agenda adopted in 2006.
We therefore call on the Yemeni state organs and authorities to take decisive and
immediate measures in accordance with international human rights law to uphold
freedom of expression in Yemen, particularly in relation to the cases outlined above.
The Yemeni government should:
- Refrain from banning or withdrawing licenses from newspapers on the grounds that
they “threaten Yemeni unity and public order”;
The Yemeni legislature should, upon the proposal of the Yemeni government:
- Repeal all legislation that establishes unduly broad conceptions of terrorist offences and
that criminalises the “insult” of politicians, the courts and individual members of the
judiciary.
The judiciary should:
- Allow Al-Khaiwani to appeal his six-year prison sentence and investigate the sudden
extension of Al-Khaiwani’s sentence;
- Overturn the verdict of the Yemeni State Security Court, as well as the amendment to
the verdict which allows “expedited implementation” of the sentence, so that Al-
Khaiwani is released from detention;
- Refuse to convict other individuals, especially journalists, who are exercising their right
to freedom of expression, of terrorist offences and/or for “insulting the judiciary”;
- Allow any appeal launched by Al-Qarni against his conviction for insulting the Yemeni
president and overturn the decision of the earlier court.
Furthermore, state police and members of the Criminal Investigations Bureau should:
- Refrain from harassing, intimidating, arresting, attacking or detaining any individual,
especially members of the press, for exercising their right to freedom of expression;
- Serve to protect individuals, especially journalists, exercising their right to freedom of
expression from violent attacks.
Sincerely,
Africa Free Media Foundation (AFMF), Kenya
Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Indonesia
Arab Archives Institute (AAI), Jordan
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Egypt
ARTICLE 19, United Kingdom
Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), Bahrain
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Egypt
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), Canada
Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI)
Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), Nepal
Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (CERIGUA), Guatemala
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), Egypt
Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka
Freedom House, USA
Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), China
Independent Journalism Center (IJC), Moldova
Institute for Mass Information (IMI), Ukraine
Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Azerbaijan
Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information (ISAI), Indonesia
International PEN Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC), UK
Journalists Trade Union (JuHI), Azerbaijan
Maharat Foundation, Lebanon
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Australia
Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Nigeria
Observatoire pour la liberté de presse, d’édition et de création (OLPEC), Tunisia
Paraguayan Union of Journalists (SPP), Paraguay
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), Canada
This is a disaster! Postponed until November? Even the court says he was sentenced to jail for writing articles and having CD’s of photos of the war dead.
The Court of Appeals, specialized in terrorism issues, delayed looking into a request by the defense lawyer of journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani to release him until November 2008.The court took the decision in an appeal session on Tuesday on the case of 15 people, called Sana’a Second Cell, convicted by a primary court of forming an armed group to attack country’s interests and supporting rebels in Sa’ada, north of Yemen.
The first convict Jafar al-Marhabi was sentenced to death and other 13 were sentenced to different terms in jail. Al-Khaiwani was sentenced to six years term in jail over “writing articles against the president and possessing CDs supporting al-Houthi’s rebellion and threatening the country’s interests”. The court quitted one of the convicts after he died inside the detention unit.
In Tuesday’s session, the Prosecutor demanded that the court refuses appeals of convicts, but defense lawyers demanded the release of their clients and canceling charges against them “as there is no an adequate evidence that the convicts met to form an armed group and committed criminal acts.”
As the vacation of the judges in Yemen starts on the 1st of August, the court adjourned the sessions until November 9, 2008.
Me too!
IFJ Renews Call for Justice for Yemeni Journalist Abdelkarim Al Khaiwani
Source: IFJ
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has congratulated Yemeni journalist Abdelkarim Al Khaiwani winner of Amnesty International’s “Sepcial Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat” and renewed its call for journalist organisations around the world to support Al Khaiwani as he challenges a six-year jail sentence handed down by the state security court.
“Abdul Karim is one our members and a very special member too,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha “He is one of those rare breed of journalists, some of the bravest and the most determined – those who are prepared to sacrifice their personal and professional lives for the public good. Abdul Karim is convinced that standing up to bullies and having to face up torture and imprisonment can make the difference.” (Read on …)
Yay! Now I know what everybody said.
The Washington-based Arab al-Hurra TV on Sunday highlighted in its program “Eye on Democracy” the issue of Yemeni journalist Abdul-Karim al-Khaiwani who was sentenced a month ago to six years in jail.
The program hosted Yemeni journalist and columnist in Washington Muneer al-Maweri, the executive director of the American Islamic Congress, Zainab al-Suwaij, the Middle East Program Coordinator in Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Joel Campagna, and the former Yemeni Journalists Syndicate chairman, Abdul-Bari Taher.
Al-Maweri urged to President Saleh to give al-Khaiwani a “humanitarian” pardon, accusing some Yemeni officials “who are encouraging violation of press freedom and abuses against journalists” of hurting the image of Yemen and President Saleh himself.
“I wonder how Yemeni authorities release convicted terrorists while they jail journalist al-Khaiwani and popular singer Fahd al-Qarni…We had hoped that Yemeni authorities would have dealt with al-Khaiwani in the same way it dealt with terrorists who were freed or got lenient sentences”, said al-Maweri.
Al-Maweri denied that judiciary has become independent and said that it receives and carries out directives from the executive authority. “How can a judiciary that let out Jamal al-Badawi and jailed journalist al-Khaiwani and activist al-Qarni be independent?” said al-Maweri.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) senior Middle East Program Coordinator, Joel Campagna, said that alleged terror charges against al-Khaiwani were false. He said al-Khaiwani was convicted for writing about war in Sa’ada, north of Yemen, and criticizing the Yemeni government. The Yemeni government used terror charges against al-Khaiwani just to avoid international blame for jailing a journalist, he said.
Al-Suwaji also defended al-Khaiwani and said terrorism is to commit violence and kill innocent people and al-Khaiwani did neither. Al-Suwaji added that the AIC launched an international drive to press the Yemeni government to free al-Khaiwani.
Al-Khaiwani has critical articles against some of the government’s policies and violations against journalists and press freedom. He was jailed many times but receiving the latest six-year sentence along with other 12 convicted of supporting rebellion in north Yemen. Al-Khaiwani got last June 9 the award of the Amnesty International 2008 for “Journalists Under Threat”.
Mareb Press: The Article19 expressed its deeply concerned over the deterioration of freedom of expression in Yemen after a Yemeni court sentenced artist Fahd al-Qarni to 18 months in prison and imposed a fine of YR 500,000 (about US$2,500). In another development, the verdict in the case of Abdul Kareem Al-Khaiwani was amended, thus prohibiting appeal. Security forces have also harassed activists protesting against this decision. “
The sentence against Mr.al-Qarni, the change in the case of Mr Al-Khaiwani and the manhandling of protestors are all indicators of an alarming trend in Yemen of increasing harassment of journalists and public figures in the opposition,” said Dr. Agnès Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, in a statement a copy of which was sent to Mareb Press.
Al-Qarni was sentenced at 6:30am on 9 July, two hours before the start of official working hours, to 18 months in prison and a fine of 500,000 Yemeni Riyals to be paid to the General People’s Congress and the Culture Office in Ta’az. According to a local journalist, al-Qarni called on Yemenis to congratulate him for this sentence. Supporters present in the vicinity of the court were also allegedly harassed.
Al-Qarni was arrested in April this year by the security agents as he was heading to Aden to participate in a festival. The arrest is perceived to be politically motivated and in response to Al-Qarni’s position against corruption in Yemen. In July 2006, members of the Criminal Investigations Bureau arrested shopkeepers in an effort to prohibit the circulation of a cassette by the popular artist. The cassette combines traditional folk compositions with humour and criticism of the government’s policies.
Then theres the transmuting sentence of al-Khaiwani that changes every time you blink:
On a different front, the verdict in the case of Mr. Al-Khaiwani was suddenly amended earlier this week to include the phrase “expedited implementation”, which according to local reports prohibits appeal and release pending appeal.
ARTICLE 19 joins the Sisters’ Arab Forum, the Dialogue Forum, the Change Organisation for Human Rights, the Media Women Forum, and the Democratic Social Forum in their appeal to Mr. Esam al-Samawi, the chairman of the High Judiciary Council, for clarification regarding the change in verdict.
(Read on …)
The verdict was altered after it was rendered to include the phrase “expedited implementation”, which prohibits appeal and release pending appeal. Who is disrespecting the judiciary now?
The security men prevented today, Tuesday, journalists and human rights activists from holding a sit-in in front of the High Judiciary Council in Sana’a.
The police men blockade the streets leading to the ministry of judiciary and prevented the protesters from reaching the ministry.
A number of representatives from the Sisters’ Arab Forum for Human Rights, the Dialogue Forum, the Change Organization for the Human Rights and Liberties, the Media Women Forum and the Democratic Social Forum, participated in the sit-in which was held later before the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.
The protesters demanded an investigation of the change of the court verdict against the opposition journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, editor in chief of Al Shoura newspaper who was sentenced to 6 years in prison by the Yemeni State Security Court.
In their letter directed to the chairman of the High Judiciary Council, Esam al-Samawi, they demanded an investigation of the change of the court verdict against al-Khaiwani, saying we feel surprised that a point about the immediate implementation of the verdict was added to the court verdict.
Editor Abdel Karim Al-Khaiwani has been regularly targeted by the authorities and was arrested and charged in 2004, 2006 and 2007. These judicial proceedings are the latest and most serious in a long series of cases brought against the Editor. Editor Al-Khaiwani is being tried as a terror suspect rather than for a publishing crime for writing about the war in Sa’ada province.
“One defendant, journalist Abdel Karim al Khaiywani, was charged in connection with his media reporting of the violence in Sa’da, and was therefore a prisoner of conscience.”
The report is so depressing. Its all true:
REPUBLIC OF YEMEN
(Read on …)
I can’t thank Chris Muir, creator of Day by Day enough. In his typical brilliant fashion he puts his finger on the crux of the matter in three panels. Are the late and begrudging convictions of the Cole bombers enough to make us drop our support of free speech? I think we can ask for both. BTW Please take a stand for free speech and use yours to SIGN THE PETITION for Mr. al-Khaiwani and Yemeni journalists: Click Here.
Committee to Protect JournalistsAccess to U.S. journalist Jane Novak’s Web site, Armiesofliberation, which is frequently critical of the Yemeni government, was repeatedly blocked inside Yemen.
Yemen Observer The security source said that the captured elements’ confessions disclosed that they used to write reports about public opinion trends and sent them together with some photographs to Abdulmalik al-Huthi and external journalists, particularly to the American journalist Jane Novak.
The New York Times Ms. Novak’s perpetual harping on these themes appears to infuriate the Yemeni authorities.
Yemen Times Jane Novak, an American researcher, interviewed Hashid, addressing issues related to human rights, freedom, prisons, and inmates in Yemen. The interview was downloaded onto many news websites, enraging a lot of people.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Swiss For the Yemeni government, she has become something like enemy of the state number one.
Expresso, Portugal But thousands of miles away in a land where ever was, all readers of newspapers know who is Jane. In Yemen, Jane has become a nightmare for the regime.
Latest Articles at Examiner.com YEMEN PORTAL’S ENGLISH FEED Articles 2003-2010 
