As hundreds of former revolutionaries took to the streets of the capital, Sana’a to honour the fallen of the Arab Spring, keen to send a reminder to the government that they are awaiting vindication, Amnesty International issued a condemning report, in which it accused the Yemeni government of failing on its promises of justice and impartial transparency.
“Yemen’s authorities have manifestly failed to hold a thorough and independent investigation into the deaths of at least 50 peaceful demonstrators and bystanders killed in Sana’a during one of the bloodiest incidents of the 2011 uprising,” wrote the rights group on Tuesday.
On March 2011, at the height of Yemen revolution 45 protesters met an untimely death when they found themselves cornered by the security forces, unarmed and vulnerable. On what is now remembered as the Friday of Dignity, Yemen came face to face with the realities of autocracy. According to Human Rights Watch data, over 200 people, men and women all confounded sustained injuries on that day.
The bloodiest day of the revolution, activists and protesters have ever since called on the authorities to punish whoever ordered the massacre of Yemen’s youth. While President Abdo Rabbo Masnour Hadi promised back in 2012 to pursue the guilty party, the state has come short so far.
Parading an empty coffin, protesters could be heard chanting, “no immunity for the killers" and "Saleh [former President Ali Abdullah Saleh] and his aides should be put on trial."
The demonstration was organised by the Youth Revolutionary Council, one of the groups that led the year-long uprising against Saleh.
A statement read by the Youth Revolutionary Council, which organized the event demanded that Attorney General Ahmed al-Awash be sacked “for covering up for the perpetrators of the attack.”
“Three years have passed since the ‘Friday of Dignity’ killings and the Yemeni authorities have yet to carry out a credible investigation or deliver justice. Promises that an independent commission of inquiry would be set up by President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi remain unfulfilled,” said Philip Luther, director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
He added, “By dragging their feet over ensuring a full and impartial investigation into these deaths, Yemen’s authorities are sending a disturbing message that justice and accountability are not a priority for them.”