SANAA, 31 May 2004 — Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered his government yesterday to abolish prison terms for journalists violating press guidelines.
A senior government official told Arab News that Saleh issued orders to the Information Ministry to amend the Press and Publications Law to make it compatible with developments in the national arena.
Saleh also gave the green signal for taking constitutional proceedings needed for the amendment to annul prison punishment in publishing-related cases, said the source.
The current law, issued in 1995, provides for up to one year in prison for journalists convicted by courts in publication crimes.
Two weeks ago, the Yemeni Press Union urged Saleh to intervene to annul the sentences imposed by a Sanaa court against former editor of the Al-Usbou (The Week) newspaper, Jalal Al-Sharabi, and reporters Naif Hassan and Fouad Al-Rabadi.
The court gave Al-Sharabi a three-month imprisonment sentence and his two colleagues received five-month terms, in addition to a ban from writing during their terms.
The rulings came a year after the Information Ministry filed a complaint to the court against the three journalists for publishing interviews with jailed gays and reports on alleged homosexuality practices in girl’s schools. Islam denounces the sinful practice.
