Yemen
Special court bans journalists from practicingPosted Feb 8 2010
Two journalists have been sentenced by the Special Court of Yemen and banned from practicing journalism for one year according to the World Association of Newspapers.
On Jan. 17, Moaz Al-Ashihabi of Al Thaqafieh newspaper was sentenced to one year in jail for writing an article that “infringes on the Islamic faith”. The previous day, Anisa Othman of Al-Wasat weekly newspaper was sentenced to three months in jail for writing an article stating Pres. Ali Abdullah Saleh declared offensive according to an Article 19 press release.
The Yemen Ministry of Information founded the Special Court in May 2009 to oversee all press related cases and provide experienced judges who recognize the responsibility of the media. Activist Yemeni journalists believe it is the government’s attempt to muffle criticism.
According to Article 19, the Yemini Journalists Syndicate is weary of future decisions of the Court: “The ruling (against Al-Ashihabi) sets a dangerous precedent against writers and journalists. This clearly shows that the court is merely a punitive tool used against the media.”
The ruling also prompted Gavin O’Reilly, president of World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, and Xavier Vidal-Folch, president of World Editors Forum, to address Selah.
“We respectfully remind you that imprisoning journalists for carrying out their professional duties constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression,” they stated in a letter to the president.
A similar address was delivered to Selah in November following the arrest and sentencing of Mounir al-Marawi and Samir Jibrane and the torture of human rights activist Salah Al Saqladi.