YEM 001 / 1109 / OBS 172
Break-in and entering / Threats for physical and psychological integrity / Intimidation
Republic of Yemen
November 24, 2009
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Yemen.
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources of numerous acts of harassment against the Sister's Arab Forum for Human Rights (SAF) and its Chairperson, Ms. Amal Basha.
According to the information received, in the evening of November 22, 2009, the SAF offices in Sana'a were broken in and entered into. After breaking the windows, individuals entered into the offices. Premises and archives were searched, but nothing was stolen, not even valuable electronic devices. A complaint was filed at the police headquarters and an investigation is currently going on.
Furthermore, on November 20 and 21, 2009, Ms. Amal Basha received approximately fifty anonymous phone calls from the same number, all immediately hanged up by the interlocutor, except one in which the interlocutor said he was working for the investigation department and used an intimidating tone. Recently, Ms. Amal Basha was also attacked by a young man as she was leaving the tribunal after observing a court hearing. Using the method used by fundamentalists to attack uncovered women, the young man sprayed water to her head and face with a syringe, thereby attempting to frighten and intimidate her. Moreover, on November 17, 2009, the brakes of Ms. Amal Basha's car would have been deliberately sabotaged.
These acts of harassment follow the publication by SAF on October 12, 2009 of a report on torture in Yemen, as well as a joint briefing note in September 2009 on the human rights situation to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review of the Yemen in September 2009. The original copy of a film produced by SAF on the discrimination faced by the Akhdam[1] was also confiscated three months ago by the national security services at the airport in Sana'a, who alleged that it was tarnishing the image of Yemen abroad. Finally, SAF had recently carried out several activities in the framework of its campaign for peace in Saada.
The Observatory condemns those acts, which seem to be aimed at hindering and sanctioning the human rights activities of SAF and Ms. Basha, and therefore contravenes the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998.
Please write to the Yemeni authorities and ask them to:
Please also write to diplomatic representations of the Republic of Yemen in your respective countries.
Paris-Geneva, November 24, 2009
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Email: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80
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