On 7 December 2009, Journalist and human rights defender, Mr Salah Yahya el-Saqladi, and two other journalists, Mr Fu’ad Rashed and Mr Ahmed Al-Rabezi, were brought before the Special Penal Court (acting as the State Security Court) where they pleaded not guilty to the charges that they “disturbed public order and incited hatred through what they wrote on internet websites”. The defence team asked the court to transfer the case to the specialised court as this court is not specialised in media matters. A security force prevented journalists and human rights defenders from holding a protest sit-in near the court building. The court adjourned the case until 20 December 2009.

Further Information

Human rights defender, Mr Salah Yahya el-Saqladi, has been held incommunicado since his arrest on 18 June 2009. Salah el-Saqladi is a journalist and the head of the Aden branch of the Organisation for Change and the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (OCDRF). Since November 2006, Salah el-Saqladi has been the political editor of Hewar Human Rights Forum, http://hewarye.org. Prior to his arrest, Salah el-Saqladi had written articles criticising the authorities in Yemen for human rights violations, especially in southern Yemen. Front Line previously reported the arrest of Salah Yahya el-Saqladi on 21 August 2009. Previousl Front Line Appeal