Bevorstehende Hinrichtung im Jemen

Bashir Sultan Mohamed al-Ja’fari was sentenced to death for murder and is detained in the military prison in the capital Sana’a. In August 2006, a military primary Court had sentenced him to pay diya (compensation money) for the unintentional murder of a fellow soldier. However, in November 2007, a military appeal court increased his sentence to death. The Military Division of the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in March 2008. His execution was scheduled to be carried out on 28 January but it was postponed for one week.

At least 13 individuals were executed in Yemen in 2008, and hundreds of prisoners are currently detained under sentence of death.

[BACKGROUND 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 dregrading punishment, and as a violation of the right to life.

[RECOMMENDED ACTION]

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO ARRIVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, IN ARABIC, ENGLISH OR YOUR OWN LANGUAGE:

• urging the authorities not to execute Bashir Sultan Mohamed al-Ja’fari;

• urging the President to commute Bashir Sultan Mohamed al-Ja’fari’s death sentence, and those of all others who are facing imminent 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 commute all outstanding death sentences and establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to completely abolishing the death penalty.

[APPEALS TO]

PRESIDENT His Excellency General ´Ali ´Abdullah Saleh President of the Republic of Yemen Sana'a Republic of Yemen Fax: (00 967) 127 4147 Salutation: Your Excellency

ATTORNEY GENERAL His Excellency 'Abdullah al-'Ulufi Office of Attorney General Sana’a Republic of Yemen Fax: 00 967 137 4412 Salutation: Your Excellency

MINISTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS Her Excellency Houda 'Ali 'Abdullatif al-Baan Ministry for Human Rights Sana’a Republic of Yemen Fax: 00 967 1 444 838 SALUTATION: YOUR EXCELLENCY

MINISTER OF JUSTICE Dr Ghazi Shaif Al-Aghbari Ministry of Justice Sana’a Republic of Yemen Fax: (00 967) 1 222 015 Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO BOTSCHAFT DER REPUBLIK JEMEN Herrn S.E. Herr Mohammed Lutf Mohammed Al-Eryani Budapester Str. 37, 10787 Berlin Fax: 030-8973 0562 E-Mail: botschaft-jemen@freenet.de oder Info@Botschaft-Jemen.de oder konsulat@botschaft-jemen.de

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.