Armies of Liberation

Yes it does. The GCC plan was rejected in Yemen since May because it is clearly designed to retain most of the status quo and is the diametric opposite of the public consensus. Its also blatantly illegal and the US has lost its moral authority on human rights and democracy forever in Yemen. Via email:

Yemen: Reject Immunity Law for President Saleh and Aides
Unlawful Blanket Amnesty Bill Gives ‘License to Kill’

(New York, January 10, 2012) – Yemen’s parliament should reject a draft law that would grant amnesty to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and anyone who served with him for crimes committed during his 33-year rule, Human Rights Watch said today. The sweeping measure could result in impunity for serious international crimes such as deadly attacks on anti-government demonstrators in 2011.

“Passing this law would be an affront to thousands of victims of Saleh’s repressive rule, including the relatives of peaceful protesters shot dead last year,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Yemeni authorities should be locking up those responsible for serious crimes, not rewarding them with a license to kill.”

The draft law, which the parliament is expected to debate as early as January 11, 2012, violates Yemen’s obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute serious international crimes such as torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said.

Bowing to international pressure and 10 months of protests against his rule, Saleh agreed in November to cede power under an accord brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In exchange, the GCC deal instructed Yemen’s parliament, which the ruling party dominates, to act on an immunity law before Saleh is to step down formally on February 21, 2012.

The granting of immunity would not prevent courts in other countries from prosecuting serious human rights crimes in Yemen under universal jurisdiction laws, Human Rights Watch said. “Even if the Yemeni parliament grants immunity, the law will not hold water abroad,” Whitson said.

An article in the draft law bars its “repeal or appeal” by either lawmakers or the courts. However, article 51 of the constitution of Yemen says citizens have the right of recourse to the courts to protect their rights and lawful interests. Article 153 of the constitution designates the Supreme Court as the highest judicial authority in the land and empowers it to strike down laws that are unconstitutional.

The preamble to the immunity law wrongfully suggests it was drafted to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 2014 of October 21, 2011, Human Rights Watch said. In fact, the Security Council resolution calls on all parties in Yemen to implement a political settlement based on the GCC accord – rather than adopt the accord itself – and also emphasizes that “all those responsible for violence, human rights violations and abuses should be held accountable.”

International law rejects impunity for serious crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture. International treaties, including the UN Convention against Torture and the 1949 Geneva Conventions, require parties to ensure alleged perpetrators of serious crimes are prosecuted. As recently as January 6, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay reasserted that amnesty cannot be granted for serious crimes under international law.

Human Rights Watch has confirmed the deaths of 270 protesters and bystanders during attacks by government security forces and gangs on largely peaceful demonstrations against Saleh’s rule in 2011, most in the capital, Sanaa. Dozens more civilians were killed last year in apparently indiscriminate attacks by security forces on densely populated areas during clashes with armed opposition fighters. Human Rights Watch also has documented a broad pattern of international human rights violations and laws-of-war violations by government security forces in previous years, including apparent indiscriminate shelling in the 2004-2010 civil war against northern Huthi rebels and the use of unnecessary and lethal force since 2007 to quash a separatist movement in the south.

“From north to south to central Sanaa, the Saleh government has violated the basic rights of the Yemeni people,” Whitson said. “Without accountability for these crimes, there can be no genuine break from the past in a post-Saleh Yemen.”

For More Human Rights Watch Reporting on Yemen, please visit:

http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/yemen

Related from from al Sahwa: Republican Guard kills four civilians in rural area

Alsahwah.net- Forces of the Republican Guard headed by Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, son of the outgoing Yemeni president bombarded on Tuesday some villages of Bani Dihrah, killing four civilians including child.

For its part, Hood Organization for Human Rights and Freedoms affirmed that it received on Tuesday the corpses of the four killed civilians.

Hood said that forces of the Republican Guard rejected to allow human rights organizations to take the bodies of five civilians whow were killed five months ago.

On Sunday , the Republican Guards bombarded villages of Bani Jarmooz and Bait Dihrah, using mortars and machine guns against civilians wounding several and damaging many properties.

Yemen Observer:The leadership of Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was seen in the southern province of Shabwah in the south East of Yemen, after they were defeated in Abyan, reliable sources in Shabwah said Tuesday.

The sources said they saw Fahd Al Qusu, Qasem Al Raimi, and Saeed Al Shihri along with tens of their companions including Saudis and Egyptians. (Read on …)

Important Statement on the current developments in Yemen

The National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms, (HOOD), expresses its deepest condolences to the Yemeni civilians and the victims’ families. Ten demonstrators died over the last two days of peaceful protests in the al-Mansurah district and al-Sheikh Othman in Aden. Eighty seven civilians in Taiz were injured after security forces threw a bomb at the demonstrators in Tahrir square and one of them is in the state of brain death. These attacks occurred while practicing their legitimate right to freedom of expression and their obligation to refuse oppression and corruption. (Read on …)

For more on the al Ghadeer arrests in Amran, click here. Mr. Baoum, leader of one of the southern independence factions was arrested early in November. More at Aden News Agency.

News Yemen: Political sources said Friday that presidential directives issued to release the leading figure in the Southern Movement, Hassan Baom, his son and his colleagues. Sources also said that 22 supporters of Houthis, arrested on the al-Ghadir Day in Amran, have been released.

Al-Haq party welcomed the releases of detainees and called on the government to release all detainees and make real peace in Sa’ada. It also called on political parties and human rights organizations to play a role over the detention of innocent people without any legal justification for more than five years.

Hopefully the statement indicates a real consensus, not some earlier statements, if only for the ability to move things forward. There’s no one to talk to when there’s eight groups and leaderships in the SMM. The July 17 JMP/ GPC agreement on dialog (which is stalled again) even if it reaches consensus, does nothing to address the southern issue. Some southerners consider the agreement a northern plot. The EU observers determination of the 2006 election as mostly free and fair (with massive reforms needed) neglected the boycotting southerners entirely.

Signatories of the current agreement include:
Supreme National Authority for the independence of the South:
Supreme National Council for the Liberation of South
Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ)
Youth Union South (Ashajj)

An important statement of the components of independence

The latest developments in the political arena southern confirm beyond a shadow of
Doubt on the strength of the SPLM and the effectiveness of South peaceful struggle vital
Awareness of the project and the return of the South goes to accomplish the tasks ahead in
Forefront of independence and nation-building and the restoration of the Arab identity of the South
Based on the popular will, which has become dogma in the minds of our people
And the road to the ultimate salvation of the Yemeni occupation, despite our awareness of the seriousness of the conspiracies

Hatched against the draft independence.

The forces of South Independence Declaring its firm and principled position on the issue of
Our people in the south and the right to freedom and independence it is not concerned with any agreements
And conducted by the JMP with the occupation authority since the wake of the Yemeni
The war of summer 1994 through an agreement in February 2009 and the end of the agreement of July 17, 2010 (Read on …)

Personally I find Hamid al Ahmar, son of the late Sheik Abdullah al Ahmar, quite a bit better option than Ahmed Saleh, the president’s son, but its not my call. General Nuba is responding to the National Preparatory Committee’s attempts to form a national coalition for a just and unified Yemen. Some have charged the NPC is undermining the party system and not doing much else of anything besides holding meetings and issuing statements. Still any initiative that attempts to find a peaceful way out of the hell hole that Yemen has become is a good thing. Statement from General Nasser al Nuba who initiated the Southern protests in 2007.

Today is 07/07/2010 the third anniversary of the start of peaceful movement southern On this day of the year in 2007 Ostfti representatives of the people of the South in Liberty Square Incense breaker in the southern capital of Aden and decided to representatives of the people of the south, which is numbered tens of thousands of peaceful struggle until independence unfinished option strategic refusing any other options, which surveyed the illegal independence. (Read on …)

And a damned fine idea it is. ( For Nuba’s 2008 interview with me, click here.) The following is the google translated version of General Nuba’s statement today, original Arabic follows:

Gentlemen / presidents, kings, princes and leaders of the Arab nation distinguished

Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you,,,

You are holding the Arab Summit Conference on the land of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya sister, our people (the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Yemen) on the basis of religion and brotherhood and neighborliness and self-determination of peoples looking forward to your August Assembly and commented on by great hopes, to support him than Gore in the throes of the comprehensive blockade imposed by the Yemeni occupying forces since the war of aggression in 1994 and fully extend its influence by force of arms in the south and its people, who reached the highest levels these days of tight security during the closure of large areas and cutting off communications and barriers launched many military campaigns that led to the killing and displacement of innocent people and the destruction of of houses, mass arrests and use of artillery and missile and air strikes on villages and towns in different regions of the occupied south .. Therefore we appeal to your August Assembly to accelerate the formation of a fact-finding commission in the south for the crimes of the occupation forces against our unarmed people. (Read on …)

What a disaster!!! What a stupid and reckless move in such a volatile place. Did they rely on Yemeni intel sources? Could they be that stupid? Well you got duped President Obama, 14 kids are dead and Qasim al Reimi “escaped,” which in itself was entirely predictable. Saleh is brilliant tactician. He is wedded to the US now, despite the fact that he is a war criminal. (Read on …)

ah, there’s al Reimi, trashing Hezbollah.

from MEMRI

Deputy Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Former Guantanamo Prisoner: We’ll Continue Jihad Until “We Set Up an Islamic State and Establish a Caliphate… And Until the Law of Allah Is Implemented”
(Read on …)

Interview with Nassir al Wahishi, Susan Elbaneh who got killed in the Embassy bombing deserved it for being close to the embassy, he says. Its not like she was in a mosque, he says. Arrogant, fascist dirtbag. Interestingly he notes the USS Cole was enroute to enforce the sanctions on Iraq.

And an interview with Khaled Abdul al Nabi, he supports unity. His he recent arrest started as a traffic stop gone wrong. There is no entity called the Aden Abyan Islamic Army, he says.

Its quite a professional vid, they have good cameras, editing. I try not to link this trash, so see Trey if you’re interested. I still want to know if al Shahri is related to the 9/11 mass murderer of the same name.

Article from the NYT:

2 Ex-Detainees in Qaeda Video
By ROBERT F. WORTH
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Two former Guantánamo Bay detainees now appear to have joined Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch, which released a video on Friday showing them both and identifying them by their names and Guantánamo detainee numbers.

American counterterrorism officials have already confirmed that Said Ali al-Shihri, 35, who was released from the American prison camp at Guantánamo in November 2007, is now the deputy leader of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch. He is suspected of playing a role in a deadly attack on the American Embassy in the Yemeni capital, Sana, in September.

In the video released Friday, Mr. Shihri sits alongside a man identified as Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Awfi, who appears with a script at the bottom of the screen giving his Guantánamo identification number, 333. That number corresponds to a man known in Pentagon documents as Mohamed Atiq Awayd al-Harbi, who was also released to Saudi Arabia in November 2007….

In the video released Friday, Mr. Awfi warns fellow prisoners about the Saudi program and threatens attacks against Saudi Arabia. He also speaks angrily about the Israeli attacks on Hamas in Gaza.

What happened to Abu Yahya? Abu Osama, maybe its Saad, Hamza. Joking, of course…

From Empty Quarter:
Abu Osama of Jund al-Yemen “also said that Abyan, Shabwa, Hadhramout, Marib, al-Jawf and Sa’ada are on the verge of falling into al-Qaeda control. He also predicted more confrontations with Yemeni security forces in the near future, saying that the government’s efforts at negotiation with al-Qaeda had come to an impasse. He pledged attacks against military, oil and tourism targets.” (emphasis added)

Yemen Observer Over 300 young Yemeni men affiliated with al-Qaeda traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia for Jihad in 2008, said an alleged al-Qaeda military leader on Wednesday.

“More than 300 young men from the land of Yemen, who are members of our organization joined their brothers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia during 2008,” said Abu Osama, a member of the military council of al-Qaeda and the commander of the Yemen Brigades. (Fatah al Islam? Lebanon, no?)

In a statement published by the local weekly independent newspaper al-Wasat, Abu Osama claims that al-Qaeda in Yemen has become stronger than ever. He also said mediation between al-Qaeda and the Yemeni government remains deadlocked. (Read on …)

WOMEN JOURNALISTS WITHOUT CHAINS EXPRESS IT’S SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS MOVEMENT ACTIVISTS AND CONDEMNS VIOLENT AGGRESSION ON JOURNALISTS AND CITIZENS EXERTING THEIR RIGHTS OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLING AND MOVEMENT EXPRESSION.

Women Journalists Without Chains ( WJWC) pursue the frightening degradation of rights and freedoms in Yemen, on its frontage students freedoms and opinion and expression freedoms in its twins press freedoms and freedom of assembly and movement expression.

While WJWC condemns what is facing the students movement in the universities of Sana’a, Aden and Taiz, such illegal arresting and aggressions by security institutions due to political working, WJWC also detest security systems surrounding students the settled students in collogues of Aden University today 29-11-2008 for participating the anniversary of 30th of November and pointing fire guns at their faces. (Read on …)

via email, my questions:

1- What is the name of the new council? (In English and Arabic)

2- What is the purpose of the new council? What do you hope to achieve?

3- What is the council’s position on the upcoming parliamentary elections?

4- I understand 350 delegates elected the Cabinet (or council). Who elected the delegates? (How many people does the council speak for?)

5- What is the relationship between the council and the YSP socialist party, and with the JMP opposition party alliance? Is the council entirely separate from the parties?

1- The name is the highest provisional council for the leading of the liberation of the South.

2- The purpose of the new council is the liberation of the south peacefully and to restore the state of the south as it has been acknowledged by the regional and international institutions, in another words, to restore its position in the Arabic league and the united nation and the league of the Islamic countries.
restoring of the identity and dignity of the South and the democratic state, as a grantee for the human rights, protecting and saving the national wealth and potentials’ that have been devastated or looted by the Yemeni authorities since the invasion of the military forces of YAR on the 7th of July 1994.we, therefore call the international community and human rights organizations to bear their mission to support our people to achieve their human rights in particular the five permanent members of the UN AND ALSO WE, CALL OUR BROTHERS IN THE GULF STAES TO PROVIDE ALL NESSASERLY MEANS TOWARD THE LIBERATION OF THE SOUTH AS THE STABILITY OF THEIR STATES IS STREGHNTHENING THE STABILITY OF THE SOUTH AND THE INTEGRATION OF THE SOUTH WITH THEIR ASSEMBLY IS A MAIN FACTOR TO SECURE THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE REGION AND THE WORLD.

3- We are going to achieve furthermore, the unity of all southern peoples and rehabilitation of the economics and encouraging the social developments and securing the peace in the country and regional and international arena, that can allow the contribution of the local and international investors with securing the bilateral benefits based on the laws released therefore, We opposing and standing up against any sort of terrorizing and extremism and we will do all efforts to secure the accommodation of the civilizations.

4- These 350 delegates are elected first by the districts and governorates.
The council speaks for all the population in all governorates of the south.

5- regarding the relationship with YSP OR JMP, THERE IS NO ANY SORTE OF RELATIONSHIP,LINKS OR EXTENTION TO THEM, BECAUSE OUR GOALS ARE COMPLETELLY DIFFERENT FROM THEM, HOWEVER WE RESPCT THE FREEDOM OF THE PARTIES AND POLITICAL OR SOCIAL GANIZATIONS AND THEIR OPONIONS, BASED ON THE DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM OF THE PARTIES, THE ESSENCE OF OUR LIBERALVISION IS THE TERASPANCY AND DEMOCRACY AND THE RIGHTS FOR ALL SOUTHERN, REGARDLESS THEIR POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR RELEGIOUS BELIEVE, HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHISISE THAT, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF ALL FERGMENTATIONS FROM ALL POLITICAL OR SOCIAL PERSONALITIES THEY ARE LOYALIST TO THE GOALS WE ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE, BUT THE SOUTH IS OUR UNITED HOMELAND, REGARDLESS RACE GENDER OR RELEGION,EQUAALITY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

WE KEEP RESPECT TO THE PEOPLES OF THE NORTH AND REASURE THEM THAT WE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THEM, BUT WE WANT TO PUT AN END TO THE SUFFERING OF OUR SOUTHEREN PEOLES EXPERIENCED BY THE THE SYSTEM OF SANNA IN THE RECENT 14 YEARS.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

Dr. Abdul Humid Shukri

Spokesman of the highest provisional council in the South

And Arabic

عزيزتي السيدة جين نوفاك

الموضوع : طلبكم

أولا وقبل كل شيء ، اسمحوا لي أن أتقدم بأطيب التحيات والشكر ، باسم المجلس الوطني الأعلىلتحرير واستعاده دوله الجنوب ،ذلك لاهتمامكم نحو تأسيس المجلس الأعلى المؤقت لقيادة مسيره التحرير واستعاده دوله الجنوب,المنتخب في 14 تشرين الثاني / نوفمبر2008 من قبل 350 مندوب يمثلون جميع محافظات الجنوب.

1 — وكما ذكرت اسم المجلس هو: المجلس الوطني الأعلى لتحرير واستعاده دوله الجنوب.

2 — الغرض من المجلس الجديد هو تحرير الجنوب سلميا لاستعادة دولة الجنوب, التي كانت محتفظ بها من جانب المؤسسات الإقليمية والدولية ، بكلمات أخرى، لاستعادة مكانتها في الجامعة العربية والأمم المتحدة وجامعة الدول العربية ورابطه العالم الإسلامي.
واستعادة هوية و كرامة الجنوب ودولتة الديمقراطية ، بوصفها صمام أمان لتأمين حقوق الإنسان في الجنوب عن طريق الحصول على استقلالها ، وحماية وإنقاذ الثروة الوطنية و قدراتها ‘التي دمرت و نهبت من قبل النظام العسكري اليمني، التي غزت الجنوب في السابع من تموز / يوليه 1994 والتي احتلت بالقوة.

ولذلك ، ندعو المجتمع الدولي ومنظمات حقوق الإنسان لتحمل مهماتها لدعم شعبنا ولحماية حقوقه الأنسانيه, ولا سيما الدول الخمس الدائمة العضوية في الأمم المتحدة, كما نطالب الأشقاء في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي, لتقديم كل وسائل الدعم لشعبنا من أجل تحرير الجنوب, لكون تعزيز وتقويه استقرار دولهم, يكمن في استقرار الجنوب, والجنوب بتكامله مع مجلسهم يمثل عامل رئيسي لضمان عملية السلام والاستقرار في المنطقة والعالم.

3 – أننا ومن خلال مجلسنا,علاوة على ذلك ، نعمل على تعزيز وحمايه وحدةأبناء شعبنا في الجنوب, وإعادة تأهيل الاقتصاد وتشجيع التنميه الاجتماعية وتأمين السلام في البلادوالساحتين الدولية والإقليمية ، والذي من خلال استتبابه يمكن أن يسمح مساهمة المستثمرين المحليين والدوليين على قاعدة تأمين المصالح المتبادلة على أساس القوانين المنظمة لذلك.

ولذلك ، فأننا في المجلس نعارض ونقف ضد أي نوع من إلارهاب والتطرف ، وسوف نبذل كل الجهود لتأمين تعايش الحضارات.

4 – بخصوص المندوبين الذين حضروا اللقاءتم انتخاب 350 مندوبا اولا من المديريات ومن ثم المحافظات.

المجلس المؤقت الأعلى يعتبر صوت لتمثيل جميع السكان في جميع المحافظات من الجنوب.

5 — بشأن العلاقة مع الحزب الاشتراكي اليمني أو اللقاء المشترك JMP ، لا يوجد أي نوع لأي علاقة ، أو صلة EXTENTION لهم ، لأن أهدافنا مختلفة عن أهدافهم ، ولكننا نكن الاحترام (RESPCT) لكافه لأطراف السياسية والاجتماعية من منطلق ضماننا والتزاماتنا تجاه حرية الآراء، على أساس الديمقراطية،وتمثل الشفافية والديمقراطية جوهر عملنا,لضمان الحقوق لجميع أبناء شعبنا في الجنوب، بصرف النظر عن انتماءاتهم السياسية والاجتماعية أو الدينية()RELEGIOUS )، مع تأكيدنا لجميع التكوينات من جميع الشخصيات السياسية و الاجتماعية التي تقف معنا على عزمنا ودأبنا لتحقيق الأهداف تلك, لكون الجنوب الموحد وطن للجميع، بغض النظر عن العرق أو الجنس أو الدين RELEGION) )، فالمساواة والعدالة(EQUAALITY للجميع.

ونحب التأكيد هنا من أننا نكن كل محبه وأحترام للشعب في الشمال ونطمئنهم أن شعبناليس لديه شيء ضدهم ، لكننا نريد وضع حد ونهايه لمعاناة شعبناالتي يمر بها منذو 14 عاما, جرا احتلاله من قبل نظام صنعاء.

أرجو أن أكون قد أعطيتكم صورة واضحة في هذا البيان الإعلامي.
بما يشفي طلبكم.

شكرا كثير لمساعدتكم و أعمالكم المثابرة, لاستعادة حقوق الإنسان لشعبنا, الذي سيظل مدينا لكم بالاحترام ويتذكرها لما تبذلونه من جهود ، ونحن نرى أن من المهم جدا وحاسم لتوضيح قضية الجنوب أمام المجتمع الدولي ، على أساس أنها أضحت حقائق على الأرض لا يمكن تجاهلها، لكونها تمثل أهمية وضرورة لتأمين وحفظ السلام في المنطقة والعالم.

شكر لكم

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام

الدكتور عبد الحميد شكري

المتحدث باسم المجلس الوطني الأعلىلتحرير واستعاده دوله الجنوب.

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For more information on southern Yemen, see my category “South”, click here

Aden, Yemen: The Public Security Department (PSD) submitted charges against a top opposition leader and an editor to Aden’s prosecutor in connection with a January 13 demonstration at which four protesters were killed when police opened fire on the crowd.

Ayman Mohammed Nasser, editor of Attariq newspaper and Ali Monassar, head of the Yemeni Socialists Party, may face treason charges for organizing the demonstration. The charges carry a potential death penalty. No charges have been filed against the police officers or their commanders in connection with the four deaths.

Ali Monassar, Socialist Party leader in Aden
faces treason charges for organizing a rally

Reliable sources in Aden report many organizers of the festival, which urged national reconciliation, are under investigation.

Ali Monassar, who also heads the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties in Aden Governorate, refused to attend the investigation in prosecution office located in Sheikh Othman district.

Editor in Chief of Aden’s Attariq newspaper, Ayman Mohammed Nasser, was subject to three hours of interrogation yesterday by the prosecutor. Nasser denied all accusations made by the agent of prosecution office.

AOL received information that the charges leveled by the PSD and forwarded to the prosecutor include:
1. Aggression towards the independent of Yemen republic.
2. Threat of security and social stability.
3. Exposing the public transportation to danger.
4. Mischief to private property.

Editor Ayman Nasser called before the prosecutor.

The Yemeni regime attributes the citizens’ deaths to an “infiltrator” who wrested a gun away from a security official and then shot into the crowd. Witnesses however report multiple security personnel were shooting, and video of the protest indicates the shooting lasted several minutes.

Update: Yemen Times covers Editor

Likewise, Al-Sheik O’thman Prosecution Court in Aden investigated with Aymen M. Nasser, the Editor in Chief of Al-Tareek newspaper, as he and other people participated in the Reconciliation and Forgiveness Rally which took place on Jan.13 in Al-Hashemi square in Al-Sheik O’thman city.

Accompanied by three lawyers, Nasser requested the prosecution court to let him know the charge directed against him. He was told that investigation was based on a notification made by the governorate security in Aden against him and others. The charge, according to the governorate security notification, is, “Transgressing the Republic’s independence, shaking security and social stability as well as exposing transportation to jeopardy, and damaging private properties.”

Attended by his lawyers, Nasser was being investigated from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“I was asked 23 questions regarding my relationship with the rally and its preparation and the names of the organizers,” said Nasser.

“As a journalist and a participant, I was also investigated about the purpose and reasons why committees were formed to organize the rally and also the number of banners and slogans chanted. The investigators also asked me about if there were slogans chanted against the national unity or inciting violence and feuds. I denied all these charges,” he said.

Nasser was in charge of the media committee for the rally, in which three people were shot dead and tens were injured. This came after fierce clashes took place between the security personnel and protesters who chanted secessionist slogans.

Nasser also said that the charge against him in the security notice also carries the penalty of the death sentence according to Yemeni law.

A Yemeni Parliamentary committee issued a report in 2006 naming 26 persons who illegally profited from land confiscated in Aden following Yemen’s 1994 civil war. The list includes Members of Parliament and the Shoura Council, military and security force commanders, current and former judges and ministers. The Parliamentary committee recommended that the land owners receive compensation for their losses, however none has been paid.

The following is a translation of the document that includes a description of the individual’s position in brackets for the readers’ benefit:

LIST OF THE NAMES AND AREAS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RECIEVED CONTRACTS FROM THE GOVERNORATE LEADERSHIP AND PREVIOUS MANAGER OF INTERIOR TRADING CORPORATION (HUSSEIN NASER OMAYER), ACCORDING TO THE (PARLIAMENTARY) FIELD SURVEY.

NAME (CURRENT POSITION) AREA DISPOSITION

1 NASER MANSOOR HADI
(The brother of Yemeni Vice President, Abdo Rabo Mansour Hadi, and Agent of Political Security Forces of Aden,Lahj and Abyan governorates)
received 4.6 ACRES,
sold to ALI SOLAIMAN DAHSH 2 ACRES, and ALAWADHI 3 ACRES

2 HUSIEN NASER OMAYER
(Previous general manager of Interior Trading Company in south)
received 20 ACRES
SOLD TO Gamal Qasem 7 acres, Salem Balfaqeh 2 acres, Abdul baset 1 acre

3 MUHAMMED SALEH AL-MOHAMMADI
received 3.0 ACRES
SOLD TO SADEQ ABDO MOHAMMED 3.0 ACRES

4 MOHAMMED SALEH TUREIQ
(General Manager of Sa’ada Security Forces, former GM of Aden Security.)
received 5.3 ACRES
SOLD TO GAMAL QASEM 5.0 ACRES

5 BELAL ALI MOHSEN
received 4.8 ACRES

6 MOAAD TAHA GHANEM
(Son of the former governor of Aden) Taha Ghanem
received 3.7 ACRES SOLD TO ALI AL-YAMANI

7 ABDULLA AHMED GHANEM
(Member of al-Shoura Council, formerly Minister of Legal Affairs)
received 8.3 ACRES
SOLD TO ALI AL-YAMANI

8 TAHA HUSEIN NASER OMAYER
(Son of Hussain Naser Omayer )
received 2.1 ACRES
SOLD TO ALI AL-YAMANI

9 WALEED AL-FADHLI
received 3.0 ACRES
SOLD TO ALI AL-HAG AHMED AND HIS PARTNER

10 ALI SHEIKH OMER
received 2.8 ACRES
SOLD TO AL-QERN TRADING CORPORATION

11 MOHAMED ALI SALEM AL-SHADDADI
(Member of Parliament)
received 3.3 ACRES

12 HUSEIN MOHAMMED ARAB
(Member of al-Shoura Council, previously the Minister of Interior Affairs)
received 2.7 ACRES
SOLD TO ALI SALEH AL-AWADHI

13 FAISAL RAGAB
(High ranking military commander)
1.0 ACRE SOAM + WALL

14 ABDUL-QAREEM SHAEF
(General Secretary of conference party in Aden governorate)
offered 1.0 ACRE SOAM + WALL
REFUSED

15 FAHEEM ABDULLA MOHSEN
(Chief Justice of Sana’a Commercial Court, previously Chief Justice of Aden Commercial Court)
1.0 ACRE SOAM + WALL SOLD TO NOR AL-DIN FAKHRI

16 RASHEED HOWAIDI
(Justice serving on the Republic High court, previously Chief Justice of Aden Appeal court, )
received 1.2 ACRES SOAM + WALL
SOLD TO ALI GAMAL QASEM

17 SALEH AL-AMMARI
(former judge in Aden Appeals Court)
received 1.1 ACRES SOAM + WALL
SOLD TO MOHAMMED BA-HASHWAN

18 NOR AL-DEEN FAKHRI
(former General Manager of Yemeni Port Authority)
received 0.9 ACRE WALL + VILLA

19 MOHAMED AHMED ALKHAILA
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

20 MOHAMED ABDULLA AL-BATANI
(Member of al-Shoura Council, previously Minister of Interior)
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

21 AHMED ABOBAKER AL-SOMAHI
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

22 ALI AHMED AL-SEIAGHI
(Vice minister of trade)
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

23 FARID MOGAWAR
(previous General Manager of Fish Wealth)
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

24 MAHDI ABD AL-SALAM
(General Manager of Taiz Education, previously General Manager of Aden Education)
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

25 MOHAMMED GOMEA AL KHADHER
(previous General Manager of Aden International Airport, dismissed)
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

26 MANSOOR SALEH BASORRA
received 0.86 ACRE WHITE LAND

27 SHADWAN AL-MOHAMADI
received 2 ACRES WALL

TOTAL 80.4 ACRES

ADDITIONAL REMARKS ABOUT LIST OF 26:
1. ADDED NAME OF SHADWAN AL- MOHAMMADI IN AREA (2) ACRES TO LIST OF (26).
2. THE TOTAL AREAS ACCORDING TO FIELD SURVEYING (ON FIELD = 80.4 ACRES).
3. THE AREAS ACCORDING TO THE LIST OF INSTRUCTION = 102.0 ACRES.
4. THE DIFFERENT BETWEEN FIELD SURVEYING AND INSTRUCTION