Reporters Without Borders urges full and prompt investigation into death threats against journalist

Reporters Without Borders has urged Yemeni authorities to ensure their investigation into death threats against Sadeq Nasher, managing editor of the Sanaa office of the Emirates daily Al-Khaleej is as full and prompt as possible. Nasher was out at the Journalists' Union on 19 February when unidentified armed men burst into his Sanaa home, threatened his family and destroyed possessions, he told the international press freedom organisation. They warned his children, "If your father carries on investigating the Jarallah case he will come to the same end as him." Jarallah Omar, secretary general of the Yemeni Socialist Party (PSY) was murdered during a political rally in Sanaa in December 2002. The case has been particularly difficult for the Yemeni and foreign press to cover in the light of the fight against terrorism and relations with neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Reporters Without Borders said it welcomed the opening of an investigation by the Political Security services into the death threats against Nasher and called for it to be both full and prompt so that those responsible could be found and punished. "As journalist union elections have just been held in Yemen, media professionals should be able to rely on the authorities to guarantee press freedom and their protection," the organisation said. The Yemeni information ministry had accused local and foreign correspondents and opposition media at the beginning of January 2003, of deliberately carrying false reports on the murders of three American missionaries and the PSY Number Two Jarallah Omar. Accused of seeking to harm the country's interests and to sow discord among the people, the media was threatened with legal action if it did not report with "objectivity and impartiality."