(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged the Yemeni authorities to ensure that their investigation into recent death threats against Sadeq Nasher, managing editor of “Al-Khaleej” newspaper’s Sanaa office, is carried out fully and promptly, so that those responsible can be found and punished. “Al-Khaleej” is a United Arab Emirates-based daily. On 19 February 2004, unidentified gunmen […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged the Yemeni authorities to ensure that their investigation into recent death threats against Sadeq Nasher, managing editor of “Al-Khaleej” newspaper’s Sanaa office, is carried out fully and promptly, so that those responsible can be found and punished. “Al-Khaleej” is a United Arab Emirates-based daily.
On 19 February 2004, unidentified gunmen burst into Nasher’s Sanaa home, threatened his family and destroyed many of his family’s personal belongings, he told the organisation. The gunmen also warned his children, “If your father continues to investigate the Jarallah case he will come to the same end as him.” Nasher was at the Journalists’ Union offices at the time of the attack.
Jarallah Omar, secretary general of the Yemeni Socialist Party (PSY), was murdered during a political rally in Sanaa in December 2002. Along with the fight against terrorism and relations with neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the case has been one of the most difficult stories for the Yemeni and foreign press to cover.
RSF said it welcomed the opening of an investigation by the Political Security Services into the death threats against Nasher. “As journalist union elections have just been held in Yemen, media professionals should be able to rely on the authorities to guarantee press freedom and their protection,” the organisation said.
RSF also noted that in January 2003, the Yemeni Information Ministry had accused local and foreign correspondents and opposition media of deliberately carrying false reports about the murders of Omar and three American missionaries. Accused of “seeking to harm the country’s interests” and “sowing discord among the people”, media outlets were threatened with legal action if they did not report “objectively and impartially”.
