SANA’A, Oct. 17 — The Journalists Syndicate held a protest Wednesday in front of the Justice Ministry compound denouncing the continuous detention of journalist Abdul Elah Haider Shae.  

Shae has been detained since Aug. 16, 2010, on suspicion of associations with Al-Qaeda. He is currently being held in Sana’a after the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced him to a five-year imprisonment.

Khalid Al-Hamadi, head of the Media Freedoms and Rights Foundation, said the protest aimed at demanding the Yemeni government and the U.S. government to set Shae free.  

He said Justice Minister Murshed Al-Arashani promised to discuss Shae’s issue with President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and to find a solution.

Khalid Al-Anisi, a lawyer and human rights activist, said Shae’s detention is unjust. He said the detention is because Shae refused to spy for  the U.S. and help target Al-Qaeda affiliates.   

“When Shae rejected the request of America, [America] started to exercise pressure until it ordered his detention.”

Shae’s contact with Al-Qaeda was normal because he is a journalist, Al-Anisi said.

Samia Al-Aghbari, an activist and a journalist, said in spite of multiple protests and continuous contact with the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, nothing has changed.

She said efforts by Hadi to release Shae are disappointing, and she called for human rights organizations and the Journalists Syndicate to augment their efforts and press for Shae’s release.

“There is no independent, free and fair judiciary that can resolve this problem. On the contrary, the judiciary has turned to cover the violations of the authority.”