Articles for Yemen

- Abd al-Ilah Haidar Shaie, the Yemeni journalist detained in the Political Security detention center in the capital Sanaa since August 2010, is suffering a rapid deterioration in his health conditions due to his indefinite hunger strike undertaken.

The journalist's family informed Alkarama's representative in Yemen that Mr Shaie undertook a

Mr Michael Romig, of the Alkarama Foundation concluded a visit to Yemen during which he met members of the Yemeni government, representatives of Yemeni human rights organisations, journalists, and victims of the violent repression of demonstrations that the country has been experiencing since last February.

Mr Romig expressed his gratitude to members of the Yemeni go

Alkarama and Hood urgently appeal to the Yemeni government to intervene immediately to lift the ongoing siege of thousands of people in the "Dar al-Hadeeth" centre in the Dammaj area of Sa'dah, North Yemen. The authorities should further ensure the delivery of food and medical aid to more than three thousand Yemeni families and foreign residents, including children, women, as well as sick and elderly people, who have been besieged for nearly one month and who are acutely lacking food and medecine.

The Alkarama Foundation (Geneva) and the National organisation for defending rights and freedom - Hood (Sana) urge the Iraqi authorities not to apply the death penalty for two Yemeni citizens among a group of nineteen who have been detained for many years, and who faced unfair trials and sentences, including a Yemeni woman who has been sentenced for life imprisonment.

Mr.

Hicham Gherras, a 43-year-old Moroccan national, was arrested by Political Security agents on 18 February 2011 in Sanaa. Despite promises that he would be freed, he is currently detained and subject to torture. Subsequently, he began a hunger strike on 10 April 2011 and has since been hospitalised.

On 20 April 2011 Alkarama addressed an urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, requesting his intervention with the Yemeni authorities in order that he be freed immediately - or at least that he be charged a competent legal authority.