The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Yemeni government to release two journalists who were arrested by Yemeni security forces in Sana'a and Hadramawt provinces.
The committee said that Yemeni forces detained Fuad Rashid, editor-in-chief of the independent news website Mukalla Press, who was detained in Hadramawt province on last week while he was covering street protests in the city of Al-Mukalla. He was taking photographs when he was detained along with a number of protesters.
The second one, Abdulelah Hider Shaye, journalist and specialist in Al-Qaeda affairs, was arrested in Sana'a by Security forces on August 16, 2010. Shaye is accused of planning to carry out terrorist acts. He will face a potential trial verdict on Tuesday on terrorism charges.
"We call on the Yemeni authorities to release Fuad Rashid immediately," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "We also urge the Yemeni judiciary to demonstrate its independence by clearing Shaye of the baseless anti-state charges he faces.