Friday, March 11, 2011

Yemen: Investigate Killing of Protesters


Soldiers Allegedly Shoot Dead 2 During Peaceful March

March 10, 2011

"(Sanaa) - The Yemeni authorities should immediately investigate the apparent killing of two protesters by soldiers during a peaceful protest on March 4, 2011, near the town of Harf Sufyan, Human Rights Watch said today. Three protesters told Human Rights Watch that soldiers at a military post shot and killed the men as thousands of anti-government protesters marched toward the town.

Yemen's Defense Ministry claimed that no march took place and that rebels from northern Yemen known as Huthis attacked the military post and wounded four soldiers. Over the past seven years, the Huthis - a Zaidi Shia revivalist movement - have battled the military. The Huthis have strong support among the population in the town of Harf Sufyan and the surrounding district of the same name.

"We have credible allegations that thousands of peaceful protesters faced live fire by Yemen's military outside Harf Sufyan and that two unarmed civilians paid with their lives," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Simply dismissing these reports as Huthi rebel propaganda is not good enough, and authorities should immediately investigate what happened there on March 4."....."

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