Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat
The recipient of the 2008 Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat
Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani has been sentenced to 6 years in prison. Amnesty believe him to be a prisoner
of conscience, imprisoned as a result of his professional activities as a journalist
and peaceful criticism of government policies.
Writing in Al-Shora, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani has strongly criticised government policy in the north
and its serious impact on human rights. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people,
including civilians taking no part in the violence, are believed to have been
killed or forcibly displaced since 2004. The government has denied journalists
and almost all independent observers access to the area and maintained a high
degree of censorship.
An outspoken journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani has continued to tackle sensitive
political and human rights issues despite enduring years of harassment during
which he has been arbitrarily detained, beaten, intimidated and received death
threats.
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Update September 2008: Al-Khaiwani is free at last Great news! Al-Khaiwani has been released after serving less than four months of his six-year sentence. He was issued a presidential pardon. Read more about Al-Khaiwani's release |
- Interview with Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani
- About Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani's case
- Freedom of expression in Yemen
Messages of solidarity
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Solidarity blog At this year's Amnesty Media Awards, we created a blog of messages of solidarity
for Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani. Alan Johnston interviews Abdulkarim Al Khaiwani
In the recording below, British journalist and last year's winner of Amnesty's Radio Award Alan Johnston talks with Yemeni human rights journalist Abdulkarim Al Khaiwani.
See a video of Jim Boumhela accept Amnesty's Special Award on behalf of Abdulkarim Al Khaiwani
About Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani
Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani is one of many activists, journalist and critics of the
state in Yemen who have endured physical attacks, detention, and prosecution for
their peaceful criticism and opposition to government policies over the years.
He has repeatedly been targeted over his journalism.. On one occasion last year
he was abducted by gunmen outside a newspaper office, apparently because of an
article he wrote concerning human rights violations in Yemeni prisons. During
the ordeal he was reportedly beaten and threatened with death if he continued
to publish articles critical of the government.
The authorities in Yemen have also targeted Al-Shora. According to NGO Article
19 In 2004, the newspaper, under al-Khaiwani's editorship, was banned by a court
order for 'insulting the president' and 'inciting rebellion', charges once again
connected to criticism in the newspaper of the government's conduct in the north.
Other publications critical of the authorities have also been the target of similar
attempts to discredit them to their readers. Take action for Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani's immediate release
Freedom of expression in Yemen
The authorities in Yemen are trying to silence me and they even appear to be
prepared to lock me up to keep me quiet. I definitely don't want to go to prison
again just for doing my job as a journalist, but at the same time I'm not prepared
to censor myself for an easy life
- Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani shortly before he was imprisoned
Amnesty International is seriously concerned about the recent clampdown on freedom of expression in Yemen.
Recent peaceful protests in the south have resulted in the detention of dozens of government critics, three of whom have been accused of undermining the independence of the country. 46 year old lawyer and journalist 'Ali Haytham 'Ali 'Abdullah al-Gharib, 41 year old lawyer Yahya Ghalib al-Shu'aybi, and 65 year old member of the opposition Socialist Party Hassan Ba'oom all face numerous charges, including carrying out 'activities aimed at undermining the independence and unity of the country', a charge which carries the death penalty. The charges relate to their involvement in peaceful protests which have been organized in southern cities over the last two years against what the demonstrators claim are discriminatory government practices against people from the south.
Amnesty International UK Media Director Mile Blakemore said:
'Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani should never have been on trial in the first place and his imprisonment looks like a clear case of the authorities putting an independently-minded journalist behind bars for his criticism of government policies.'
