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| Arabia |
| Yemen rejects US criticism of journalist's jailing |
| 2008-06-12 |
| SANAA - Yemen on Wednesday said US criticism of a jail sentence meted out to a Yemeni journalist was a form of 'political pressure' by Washington. The US criticism "is surprising given the silence over (American) violations of human rights at Guantanamo, in Iraq, in Afghanistan and elsewhere," a foreign ministry spokesman said, as quoted by the official Saba news agency. "Questions of human rights should not be used as means of political pressure or to present crimes judged in the courts as a matter of freedom of expression," he added. The US State Department on Monday condemned Yemen's jailing of the editor of Zaidi weekly Al-Shura, Abdel Karim al-Khiwani, for six years, saying it points to a "distressing trend" in which Yemeni courts muzzle independent media. Khiwani was among 12 people who were given jail sentences after being convicted of forming an armed group and killing two security officers. A Zaidi Shiite rebel was also condemned to death in the case, but the State Department only commented on Khiwani's sentence. Khiwani's sentencing "points to a distressing trend in Yemen of intimidation and prosecution of independent journalists in criminal and security courts," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Khiwani "himself has been the victim of violence, intimidation, and kidnappings that the government of Yemen has yet to fully investigate and prosecute those responsible," he said. "We call upon the government of Yemen to protect Yemeni journalists and their right to free expression in the pursuit of their profession. A free and independent media is a key component of a democratic society," he said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |