Yemen Government Amends Outgoing President Immunity Law
On Thursday, a draft law granting immunity from prosecution to the outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, was amended to limit the protection his aides would enjoy. The draft law was proposed by Yemen’s interim cabinet to the President if he agreed to step down after the presidential elections held in February 2012. Originally, the draft law granted immunity to Mr. Saleh and anyone who “worked with him in all the state’s civil, military and security apparatuses and organisations during the period of his [33-year] rule.” However, the draft law was criticized by activists. On January 13th, 4 protesters were killed by security forces during one of the the demonstrations rallied against this immunity draft law.
The draft still guarantied full immunity for President Saleh while his aides can be tried on charges for corruption . However the aides were still immune any accusation concerning their role during the crackdown during the pro-democratic protests occurred in the country in 2011. Washington and Saudi Arabia endorsed the draft and argued that it could lead to a peaceful transition process. Amnesty International’s interim Director for the Middle East and North Africa Philip Luther declared that the immunity draft law was “a smack in the face for justice, made all the more glaring by the fact that protesters have been calling for an end to impunity since mass protests began in early 2011.” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that amnesty should not be tolerated for the “gross human rights violation” perpetrated in Yemen.
Meanwhile the opposition party Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) blamed President Saleh’s family for causing chaos in the town of Radda and enabling Al Qaeda militants to take over the town. It was reported that Al Qaeda militants entered the town without a fight after the republican guards operated by Saleh’s eldest son evacuated Radda without a fight. JMP accused the Yemeni President of attempting to develop a strategy which could stop the transfer of power.
