|
 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Yemeni authorities to detail the terrorism accusations it has leveled against an opposition newspaper editor who has been detained by government forces at his home in the capital, Sana’a.
At around noon on Wednesday 21 June, Yemeni security agents raided the home of Abdelkarim al-Khaiwani, editor of the online newspaper Al-Shoura, which is affiliated with the Popular Forces Union Party, several Yemeni journalists and local news reports said.
Al-Khaiwani was brought before a state security prosecutor charged with handling terrorism cases. He is under investigation for allegedly having ties to a terrorist cell associated with rebels fighting government forces in the northwestern city of Saada, journalists and news reports said. The prosecutor ordered al-Khaiwani held for the next seven days, those sources said.
“We are troubled by the detention of Abdelkarim al-Khaiwani, and call on officials to publicly disclose the evidence used to hold him,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.  “While the accusations are serious, we remain concerned that al-Khawiani is being punished for his outspokenness.” 
“While the accusations are serious, we remain concerned that al-Khawiani is being punished for his outspokenness.” According to Yemeni press reports, al-Khaiwani is being investigated for alleged ties to 16 men and two women recently arrested for belonging to a terrorist cell in Sana’a said to be affiliated with rebel leader Abdel Malik al-Hawthi. Over the last three years, Al-Hawthi, his family members, and their followers have battled Yemeni government forces in Saada. Fighting was heavy until a ceasefire was reached in recent days.
Al-Khaiwani has been a harsh critic of Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and, in particular, his government’s fight against the rebels.
In 2004, as editor of what was then a print weekly, al-Khaiwani was sentenced to a year in jail for incitement, insulting the president, publishing false news, and causing tribal and sectarian discrimination. Articles had criticized the government's conduct in the fighting and had accused it of fostering terrorism with its actions.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
The government ordered the recently formed Bhutan Information, Communication and Media Authority (BICMA) to block viewing bhutantimes.com inside Bhutan.
According to the orders, the only and government owned ISP Druknet blocked viewing the site within the country.
The site had been popular for forum discussion where people can register and express their opinion on important national issues.
The site did not have its own news content rather self updated news on Bhutan, militancy in north-east India through google news feed.
This is the second site that Bhutan government blocked. Earlier, bhutannews.com was also banned. Both these sites cannot be viewed in Bhutan at present.
Forum discussions in recent months were observed to be critical of the minister Sangey Nidup, who is maternal uncle of the present Crown King.