Yeman's Government says it did not ban newspapers
Posted by Emily Dilling on May 28, 2009 at 6:35 AM
Yeman's Minister of Information, Hassan Al-Lawzi has denied a government ban on newspapers, saying the titles disappeared for other reasons, Yemen Times reported.
The government recently passed a measure to limit media's infractions of press law. The Ministry has also openly warned newspaper publishers that they would be responsible for any violations of this law.
The government recently passed a measure to limit media's infractions of press law. The Ministry has also openly warned newspaper publishers that they would be responsible for any violations of this law.
Yeman's press laws allow governmental restrictions on publishing which are not clearly defined and therefore open to interpretation.
Al-Lawzi's statement was followed by countrywide and international protests, where demonstraters spoke out against the confiscation and blocking of news sources which occured after media coverage of uproar and dissent in Southern Yeman.
Human Rights and journalists' organizations, such as The Commitee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have asked the Yemani president to repeal the measure and restore freedom to the country.
In an appeal to the president, the CPJ encouraged him to "put an immediate end to these attacks, order for the Ministry of Information to drop pending harassing lawsuits filed against the media, and order the release of detained journalists and bloggers without delay."
Al-Lawzi's statement was followed by countrywide and international protests, where demonstraters spoke out against the confiscation and blocking of news sources which occured after media coverage of uproar and dissent in Southern Yeman.
Human Rights and journalists' organizations, such as The Commitee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have asked the Yemani president to repeal the measure and restore freedom to the country.
In an appeal to the president, the CPJ encouraged him to "put an immediate end to these attacks, order for the Ministry of Information to drop pending harassing lawsuits filed against the media, and order the release of detained journalists and bloggers without delay."
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