Help save Mohammed Al-Asadi's life

Mohammed Al-Asadi, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Observer, in jail. YO Photo
An Appeal from Jail from Mohammed al-Asadi, Editor-in-Chief. By Mohammed Al-Asadi
Feb 14, 2006

Report: Press Climate Deteriorating in Yemen
By Observer Staff,
Mar 12, 2006

"SANA'A - In a new report, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warns of a “dangerous escalation” in the government’s suppression of independent and opposition media in Yemen.
In the report, “Attacks, Censorship, and Dirty Tricks,” the CPJ says that at least two dozen journalists have been assaulted, jailed or sued over the past two years. And in the past year, Yemeni authorities shut down at least seven newspapers..."

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'Of Course I’m Afraid’, an Interview with Mohammed Al-Asadi
By Rod Nordland - Newsweek magazine
Feb 19, 2006

SANA'A – Mohammed Al-Asadi, the Editor-in-Chief of the Yemen Observer, remains in jail concerning accusations related to the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

In an interview from his jail cell Al-Asadi spoke to reporter Rod Nordland from the US-based Newsweek magazine, discussing press freedom, religion and calls for his execution. The transcript from Newsweek follows below.

NEWSWEEK: Is this your first time in jail?
Mohammed al-Asadi: It's the first time ever I've been a prisoner, or even in front of a judge.

How are the accommodations?
I'm in a temporary prison, awaiting a hearing, so it's not so bad. It's a basement, and we have to buy everything we need, even bottled water. There are 15 of us sharing one big room and one toilet, but the others aren't common criminals. A couple are journalists, because it's the prison of the prosecutor for press and publications...


Yemen Exploits Cartoon Controversy to Close the Yemen Observer
JAWA
February 09, 2006
Fighting the Wrong War: Not in the Prophet’s Name
By YemenObserver Staff
March 11, 2006
Lawyers Wrangle and Yemen Observer Demanded to Compensate for Insults
By Sanaa, NewsYemen
March 8, 2006

"SANA’A – Yemen is focusing on the wrong people in targeting Mohammed Al-Asadi and the Yemen Observer in the accusations of insulting the Prophet (PBUH), according to a leading academic.
Dr Abdullah Al-Faqih, Professor of Politics at Sana’a University and head of the Change Forum, an independent NGO working to promote political dialogue, appealed to they Yemeni people arguing that they are “fighting the wrong war” in targeting the newspaper.

"Yemen’s battle is not with Al-Asadi but with poverty, illiteracy, underdevelopment, and diseases," he said.
Dr Al-Faqih, in an interview with the Observer, wrote an appeal for real justice to be made, calling the trial a ‘witch hunt.’
His statement follows below.
“It is inconceivable to think that a newspaper like the Yemen Observer would intentionally seek to insult Muslims or their Prophet (PBUH) in any manner..."


FREE MUHAMMAD AL-ASADI
By Michelle Malkin ·
March 10, 2006

Yemeni Lawyrers demands death penalty
By Sandmonkey,
March 10, 2006

Campain to save a life
By Blueslord - Infidel Bloggers Alliance
March 09, 2006

Help Save A Man's Life: Yemen editor faces capital punishment for printing cartoons. (Updated)
Freedom Zone
March 09, 2006

Yemen editor 'faces death calls' The trial adjourned until 22 March.
BBC -March 8, 2006


Knowing the Defender from the Offender
By Shaker Lashuel*, YemenObserver
March 6, 2006
* Shaker Lashuel is a freelance Yemeni writer based in the U.S. He has written on the Yemeni-American community and Yemen related issues. He is a teacher working for the New York City Department of Education.


Danish Cartoons International
Hjörtur Gudmundsson - The Brussels Journal
March 2, 2006

"According to the Danish online newspaper eJour, 143 newspapers in 56 countries around the globe, including Christian and Muslim ones, have so far republished one or more of the Muhammad cartoons, first published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September. (See the twelve cartoons here, halfway the page) A list of the countries can be found here. 13 newspapers in 9 countries, including Egypt, had published one or more of the cartoons before the Norwegian Christian newspaper Magazinet republished them on January 10.
Editors have either been sacked or jailed for publishing the cartoons. In Algeria two editors have been jailed and in Indonesia a number of them were fired...


Journalists in Yemen and Algeria arrested over prophet cartoons
CPJ - Committee to Protect Journalists -New York
February 13, 2006