On 1 November 2009, detained human rights defender Mr Yasre Al-Wazeer was brought before a penal court in Yemen which serves as a State Security Court, and in a closed hearing was charged with forming an armed group. No lawyer was present, as Yasre Al-Wazeer was not informed about the hearing beforehand. He has reportedly never been interrogated in relation to charges of forming an armed group.

Further Information

Nine other defendants who are reportedly unknown to him. were also charged on 1 November along with Yasre Al-Wazeer, His family along with YODRFD have appointed a lawyer, but they have been reportedly advised to boycott the trial due to its lack of due process guarantees. Yasre Al-Wazeer has been detained arbitrarily for 17 months, allegedly due to his activities as a member of the Yemeni Organsiation for the Defence of Rights and Democratic Freedoms (YODRFD), which campaigns for the protection of the rights of detainees, particularly those related to the Sa'da conflict in Yemen. Front Line previously expressed its concern at the ongoing detention of Yasre Al-Wazeer on 2 July 2009.

Yasre Al-Wazeer's case follows similar proceedings against other human rights defenders in Yemen. For example, on 2 March 2009 Front Line expressed its concern at the sentencing of Mr Abdul-Kharim al-Khaiwani to six years' imprisonment, despite the cancellation of his conviction following a presidential pardon in September 2008. Abdul-Kharim al-Khaiwani had been charged under similar accusations to those levelled against Yasre Al-Wazeer, which were never substantiated in court, and his lawyers boycotted his trial in protest at the vagueness of the charges and the nature of the court.

Front Line believes that Yasre Abdul-Wahab Al-Wazeer was targeted as a result of his peaceful human rights activities. Front Line is particularly concerned by the trend of incommunicado detentions in Yemen, a practice which violates international norms and has been known to facilitate torture and ill-treatment. Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Yasre al-Wazeer.