Document - Yémen. Empêchez des exécutions au Yémen !
UA: 297/09 Index: MDE 31/016/2009 Yemen Date: 03 November 2009
URGENT ACTION
STOP EXECUTIONS IN YEMEN!
Five men under sentence of death in Yemen could be executed as early as 11 November: they have exhausted all their appeals, and their death sentences have been ratified by the president.
Yasser Ismail, Basheer Ismail, ‘Arif Far’i, Mubarek Ghalib and Murad Ghalib were sentenced to death in July 2006 for the murder of two men; they are held at the Central Prison in the city of Ta’iz. The Appeal Court in Ta’iz rejected their appeals against their death sentences in March 2008, and the Supreme Court did the same in June 2009. According to sources in Yemen their execution had been scheduled for 31 October, but was postponed until 11 November.
At least nine peoplehave been executed in Yemen so far this year, and in 2008 at least 13 people were executed. There are hundreds of people under sentence of death in Yemen.
PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Arabic, English or your own language:
- Urging the authorities not to execute Yasser Ismail, Basheer Ismail, ‘Arif Far’i, Mubarek Ghalib and Murad Ghalib;
- Urging the president to commute their death sentences, and those of all others facing execution;
- Acknowledging that the government has a right to bring to justice those responsible for criminal offences, but expressing unconditional opposition to the death penalty;
- Reminding the authorities that they are bound by international standards for fair trial in capital cases, including the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence;
- Urging the president to establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 DECEMBER 2009 TO:
President
His Excellency General ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh
Office of the President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 127 4147
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
His Excellency Dr Ghazi Shaif al-Aghbari
Ministry of Justice
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 222 015
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Minister of Human Rights
Her Excellency Houda ‘Ali ‘Abdullatif al-Baan
Ministry for Human Rights
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 444 8333
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
STOP EXECUTIONS IN YEMEN!
ADditional Information
Amnesty International has long-standing concerns about the use of the death penalty in Yemen, particularly as death sentences are often passed after proceedings which fall short of international standards for fair trial.
Amnesty International acknowledges the right and responsibility of governments to bring to justice those suspected of recognizably criminal offences, but is unconditionally opposed to the death penalty in all cases as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, and as a violation of the right to life.
UA: 297/09 Index: MDE 31/016/2009 Issue Date: 03 November 2009
