Yemen: Assassination attempt against Al-Humaiqani

Abdul Wahab Al-Humaikani,

Alkarama strongly condemns the 24 April 2011 assassination attempt against Mr. Abdul Wahab Al-Humaiqani. Troops from the Republican Guard fired on shots on a peaceful gathering for the children of Al-Zahir, in Albaida province, after Al-Humaiqani tried dissuade the troops from attacking the neighboring province of Yafaa. The attack comes on the back of more than two months of systematic repression by the Yemeni authorities against political activists calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his waning regime.

According to eyewitnesses and the families of the victims, two people were killed and four wounded.

Ali Abdo Al-Kawi Al-Humaiqani, 36, and Ibrahim Abdul Ilah Allbasi, a 15-year-old shepherd, were killed in the attack. Alkarama was able to obtain the names of only two of those injured in the attack, they are: Mohsen al-Faqih, 28, and Abdul Majid Saleh Jaber, 15.

Witnesses said troops fired rocket-propelled grenades at Al-Humaiqani's car, who managed to escape and take cover behind a house. Nonetheless, troops continued the shelling and fired missiles at the home. Two women were also wounded in the attack.

President Saleh continues to use the State-run media to orchestrate a campaign of disinformation, in an attempt to justify the recent the violent and repressive measures used against peaceful demonstrators. The Yemeni authorities' unrestrained reaction to the upsurge in pro-democratic voices is considered by many regional human rights NGOs as tantamount to state terrorism - not surprising for a regime, as it has become increasingly clear, that is mainly responsible for the corruption that continues to plague the southern Gulf state.

Alkarama plans to detail the recent events as part of a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial and summary executions. Alkarama requests that the Yemeni authorities carry out an immediate investigation into the incident and prosecute those responsible.