MDE 31/006/2006
Further Information on UA 182/05 (MDE 31/012/2005, 7 July 2005) and follow-up (MDE 31/025/2005, 9 December 2005)
Death Penalty/Legal Concern/Prisoners of Conscience/Fear of Imminent Execution
YEMEN : Yahia Hussein al-Dailami (m), cleric
Mohamed Ahmed Miftah (m), cleric
31 May 2006
The death sentence against Yahia Hussein al-Dailami was commuted to a suspended prison sentence by President ’Ali ’Abdullah Saleh on 20 May and he was released the following day. The exact length of the suspended prison sentence is unclear however it was reported to be 10 years.
The eight year prison sentence against Mohamed Ahmed Miftah was also suspended and he was released.
The families of the two men thanked all those who worked on their behalf.
Both men were sentenced after trial proceedings that fell short of the minimum international standards for fairness. Amnesty International believes that the men are prisoners of conscience, who were held solely for their criticisms of the government and the peaceful expression of their conscientiously held beliefs. They were arrested in September 2004 and later sentenced in connection with their alleged support of Hussain Badr al-Din al-Huthi (a Zaidi cleric who was an outspoken critic of the US invasion of Iraq).
No further action is requested from the UA Network. Many thanks to all those who sent appeals. Amnesty International will continue to monitor the case.