His Highness
Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifah Al Tahni, Emir of Qatar, has decided to visit
Yemen during May 1998. According to Yemen Times sources, the Qatari ruler
is responding to an invitation from President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The visit by the Qatari Emir is the first ever to Yemen by a Qatari
ruler, and the first among the rulers of the Gulf states since the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait during August 1990.
The Republic of Yemen and the State of Qatar enjoy very close relations.
Qatar has been pushing for the inclusion of Yemen in the Gulf Cooperation
Council, or at least for a closer arrangement with Yemen.
In Spite of Visible Improvements,
Yemen's 10,000 Prisoners
Endure Hard Conditions:
CC Human Rights Committee
Issues Stunning Document
The Human Rights, Liberties and NGOs Committee of the Consultative Council
(CC) embarked on a whirlwind field visits to inspect several of the main
prisons of the Republic of Yemen. A delegation headed by Dr. Abdulaziz
Al-Saqqaf, head of the committee, visited the central prisons of Sanaa,
Hajjah, Hodeidah, Taiz, and Aden, in addition to some of the smaller jails
in the secondary cities of those governorates. The committee filed its
initial findings - a document of fifteen pages - which included a lot of
data and revealing information. The document also presented many options
for action.
At the immediate level, many prisoners who were in jail without proper
legal basis were released. Some of those who had near-completed their prison
sentences have also been released. The total number of persons released
was 112, including half a dozen children, eight women, and three persons
who were clearly sane, but had been put in one of the mentally disturbed
'homes'.
In the longer term, the document called for re-structuring of responsibilities
among the three bodies which are responsible for the prisons - the Ministry
of Interior, the District Attorneys, and the courts. It also called for
changing the persons in charge of the Hajjah and Aden prisons, as well
as other changes.
Other suggestions include setting up local committees that bring together
the official and community elders in order to address prison needs and
conditions.
At any one time, there are about 10,000 prisoners in the formal prisons
of Yemen, and the total annual prisoner turnover (1997) is around 85,000.
Among these some 6% are foreigners, coming especially from East Africa
and Arab countries.
Brooding Time Till Eid Al-Fitr:
Cabinet Reshuffle in
the Works
In spite of persistent and strong disclaimers, there are strong signs of
a reshuffle that will send at least four ministers packing. According to
sources close to the President, the reshuffle will take place immediately
after Eid Al-Fitr (early February).
They added saying, "You can say that the period between now and
Eid Al-Fitr is a brooding time, during which consultations are taking place."
The Prime Minister is unhappy with the performance of some ministers.
Some are corrupt and/or just unproductive, pure and simple. Others will
leave because of insubordination.
An Ominous Twist in the
Kidnapping Business
After four days in captivity, a Korean woman and her three-year old child,
along with a Korean businessman were released unharmed on Thursday, January
8th.
The woman is the wife of the First Secretary at the Embassy of the
Republic of Korea (South Korea), while the man is just visiting.
Although it looks like that the kidnapping of a foreign child was an
accident, this is the first time that this happens in Yemen. The kidnapping
was done by people from Al-Hada tribe, east of Dhamar and was motivated
by their demand to implement a court death sentence on 3 men who had raped
a boy belonging to the tribe.
