One journalist has detention extended, another is released

Reporters Without Borders voiced concern about the arbitrary extension yesterday of the detention of journalist Abdul Ilah Haydar Shae by a special court responsible for trying cases of endangering state security. The court ordered he remain a further 30 days in custody officially in response to the requirements of the police investigation. The journalist was arrested at his home in the capital Sanaa as part of a brutal police roundup on 16 August (http://en.rsf.org/yemen-arbitrary-detention-of-two-24-08-2010,38198.html). He was accused of planning terrorist acts and using the media to give support to al-Qaeda. He was held incommunicado for almost a month (http://en.rsf.org/yemen-two-journalists-held-incommunicado-04-09-2010,38270.html) before being transferred, on 12 September, to the political security prison in the capital, run by the intelligence services. The journalist was beaten and insulted during his arrest and detention. His body bore marks of injury particularly on the chest, when he appeared before the court. He also appeared to have a broken tooth. The court also ordered the release of Kamal Sharaf, a friend of Shae’s and detained with him. He was arrested on 17 August and had been in custody for 37 days. Abdul Ilah Haydar Shae was previously arrested and held by security forces for several hours on 11 July 2010. The journalists are the first victims of the authorities’ use of arbitrary detention.