Eight injured as police break up protest in southern Yemen, Roundup
Jul 22, 2008, 13:04
GMT, Monsters and Critics.com
Sana'a, At least eight people were injured Tuesday when
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل] dispersed an opposition protest called in southern Yemen to demand the release of
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل] arrested during violent demonstrations earlier this year, local sources said.
The sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the protest turned violent after police used tear gas and fired in the air to disperse the protesters in Radfan city in Lahj province, some 300 kilometres south of the capital Sana'a.
Around 50 protesters were arrested, opposition sources said.
The protest was organized by the southern opposition to demand the release of more than 200 activists held in custody for taking part in violent protests that hit several southern cities.
Among those activists were three senior members of the opposition Yemeni Socialist Party. Hassan Baoum, Yahya al-Shouaibi and Ali al- Gharib are being tried by a state security court in Sana'a on charges of instigating civil disorder.
Also on Tuesday, the state security court in Sana'a began the trial of three other opposition activists accused of stirring up the riots, state-run Saba news agency reported.
The agency said prosecutors charged the three men - Ahmad Omar bin Farid, Mahmoud Hassan Zaid and Abdu-Rabu al-Humaishi - with inciting civil disorder and strife. The court adjourned the case until October 22.
Protests and riots hit several southern Yemeni cities where disgruntled youths took to the streets in April over what was claimed to be discriminatory
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل] policies against southerners.
At least 13 people were killed and more than 70 were injured in clashes with security forces.
South Yemen was an independent state with a Marxist regime until 1990 when it united with northern Yemen. An attempt to restore the south's independence was crushed in 1994 following a civil war.
Groups representing people who had retired from army and government jobs in southern Yemen have staged a series of protests in the past 12 months in demand of more rights and better services.
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]_