Thursday, April 28, 2011

Yemeni president must be held accountable over rights violations



Amnesty International

"The Yemeni president and his political allies must not be given immunity from prosecution as the price for ending the country’s spiralling human rights crisis, Amnesty International said today.

Following months of protests against his 33-year rule, President Ali Abdallah Saleh is expected to agree a deal to transfer power to opposition leaders and step down 30 days later.

The deal appears to provide blanket immunity to the President and those who served under him, and could prevent prosecutions of senior officials for the deaths of more than 120 protesters and other violations committed during recent protests and in earlier years.

“President Ali Abdullah Saleh must not be allowed to evade accountability for the long catalogue of human rights crimes committed under his rule,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“President Saleh and those around him must be held accountable for the arbitrary arrests, torture and unlawful killings that have been committed on their watch if the rule of law is to have any meaning in Yemen.”

He must not be awarded a “get-out-of-jail” card to walk free from any question of investigation or justice for what has been done under his authority.”...."

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