U.S. condemns jailing journalist in Yemen
Sana’a, June 10, 2008 (YemenOnline) - The U.S. State Department condemned on Monday a six-year jail sentence handed down by a Yemeni court against opposition leading journalists Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani.
In a statement the U.S. State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said that the conviction and sentencing of Yemeni journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani to six years in prison points to a distressing trend in Yemen of intimidation and prosecution of independent journalists in criminal and security courts.
“Al-Khaiwani’s sentence has been condemned by both Yemeni and international journalism and human rights NGOs,” Sean McCormack added.
The State Department statement indicated that “al-Khaiwani himself has been the victim of violence, intimidation, and kidnappings and demanded the Government of Yemen to fully investigate and prosecute those responsible.
“We call upon the Government of Yemen to protect Yemeni journalists and their right to free expression in the pursuit of their profession,” said the statement.
“A free and independent media is a key component of a democratic society,” the statement concluded.
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