By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
SANA’A, Yemen – Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh pardoned the final twelve political activists on Thursday, September 11. The pardon was given after all twelve had signed agreements stating that they would not return to previous rebellious activities and that they would “abide by the constitution and operative laws in the country in addition to the national constants and not to violate them” according to Almotamar.net the official e-newspaper of the General People’s Congress of Yemen.
Among the activists held was political figure, Hassan Baoum, a member of the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP). Baoum is currently being tried, with eight other senior YSP officials, by the state of Yemen for activities related with political protests and rioting that took place in Yemen’s Southern provinces earlier this year. They are charged with incitement and pursuing secessionist aims. The other seven YSP officials were among those released. However, it is uncertain whether Baoum remains in Yemeni custody.
The continued detention of Baoum has become a concern of Yemeni human rights organizations. There are worries that Baoum’s health is in poor condition and that continued detention may endanger his life. The Yemen Observatory for Human Rights has criticized his detention, stating that he is being detained simply for expressing his opinion, a basic right under the Yemeni constitution.
There were other reports released Thursday stating that Baoum was later released. AFP reported that Mohammad Al-Mekhlafi, chief of the YSP legal department, stated Thursday night that Baoum’s release was delayed by several hours because he initially refused to sign the agreement required as a condition of his release.
The Yemen Socialist Party was the ruling party in South Yemen before the unification of Yemen in May of 1990. However, since the unification, there have been continuing unrest and periodic rebellion against the government. In 1994 there was a secession bit by the South, and since then many Southerners complain of discrimination.
In April 2008, there was an uprising led by the youth in South Yemen that resulted in several deaths and a strong response by the Yemeni military, including incidents where Southerners were injured or killed when Yemeni military fired rounds into the air and barricaded streets with tanks.
For more information, please see:
Jordan Times – Yemen Activists Freed But Top Socialist Still Held – 12 September 2008
AFP – Yemen Frees Socialist Activists Jailed Over Unrest – 11 September 2008
Al-motamar.net – Presidential Pardon for Detainees Over Instigating Division and Regionalism – 11 September 2008
Reuters Alertnet – Yemen Pardons Rioters in Deal with Opposition – 11 September 2008
BBC News – Tanks Deployed After Yemen Riots – 1 April 2008
