Khaled Salman is the former editor of Al-Thoury, the Yemeni Socialists Party’s paper. Because of the targeting of editors in Yemen, Salman was in fear of his life and was granted political asylum in the UK in 2006. To follow is Khaled Salman’s statmement in support of Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani (English and Arabic), “Freedom for al-Khaiwani“. The link to join the campaign of support for al-Khaiwani is right here. Al-Khaiwani is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday and may recieve a long prison term or even the death penalty.

Freedom For Alkhaiwani

*Khaled Selman

Monday 5th May 2008

As a close friend I know Abdulkarim Alkhaiwani very well. We have been a profession Fellows for many years. Throughout his career as brave and distinctive journalist, he proved that he is open-minded person who opposes corruption, repression and confiscation of liberties. Also he has spared not effort in fighting for equality, rejecting the use of violence and terrorism to achieve political goals.

Through his courageous articles Alkhaiwani has broke the barriers and got rid of fears at generation of journalists and political elites. He has had the honour to lead in challenging the Yemeni tyrannical authority’s prohibited materials, which are against freedom of opinion and civil rights. He wrote without interruption against corruption, which is overlapped with the governance’s policies and rulers’ exercises.

He has stood against power abuse, looting of public money by influential bodies, the internal wars and against inheriting the power to the President’s son.

At a time when Alkhaiwani’s ideas have been spread and strengthened in the Yemeni community, he received the same degree of anger and arbitrary of the Yemeni power. He was subjected to an arbitrary imprisonment for a year, and later was abducted by a savage way from among his family. Today the Yemeni authority is trailing him on trumped up charges of terrorism as defined cell of Sana’a, seeking to stick a charge that is punishable by a penalty up to death.

The Yemeni Authority is prosecuting one of the most prominent public opinion leaders on charges of national treason and terrorism. By making the terrorism charge, the Yemeni authority is planning to get rid of Alkhaiwani without any pressure from the local and the international human rights bodies and to elude from the international community of taking responsibility of such brutal and maltreatment. It takes advantage of the growing of global fears of terrorism and the partnership with the United States in chasing and fighting terror. The Yemeni regime is using the terror as an excuse to prosecute and oppress those who have different political opinion and oppose the Yemeni authorities.

The trial of Alkhaiwani is a pure political trial and is a trail of the opinion. It lacks to the most basic elements of justice, fairness and impartiality in the presence of corrupt and not independent judiciary.

Now is more than ever, the life of the Yemeni press freedom leader Abdulkarim Alkhaiwani became under threat due to his free and independent views. Threatening the life of Alkhaiwani is immoral, inhuman, and illegal crime. If the international community will not rise its voice and pressurise the Yemeni regime to stop this woeful political trail for the opinion and to force it to respect civil rights and press freedom that is included in the international convention and law, which the Yemeni authority has signed.

It will not be the responsibility of the Yemeni regime alone, but also the international community and the conscience of the free world will be partner in such inhuman act.

To safe the life of Abdulkarim Alkhaiwani, the voice of the free world should be raised denouncing the Yemeni tyrannical regime and supporting Alkhaiwani.

*Former chief editor (al-Thoury)

Journalist and political refugee in Britain

I found this over at Armies of Liberation, a fantastic blog by Jane Novak, who campaigns tirelessly for the human dignity of the Yemeni people. NeoConstant wholeheartedly supports her in her struggle. We also support journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani. Novak’s blog is banned in Yemen, but the rest of us can, and should, read it carefully.