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Yemen: Information on the situation of members of the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP), particularly low- and mid-level party members since 1994

According to Country Reports 1996, one man who was "active in the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP)" died in custody after being arrested for participating in demonstrations on 11 June 1996 (1997, 1401). Country Reports adds that "his body was buried without being returned to his family" (ibid.). Moreover, many of the people who have been detained without charge by the security forces, especially in the south, "are associated with the YSP and accused of being separatists" (ibid.). According to Country Reports, "most such disappearances are temporary, and detainees are released within months" (ibid.).

According to Amnesty International, scores of members of legal political parties have been arrested. Among these was Hassan Ahmad Ba(um, age 56, who was arrested on 4 January 1996 and detained for one week, reportedly because of his organizing activities with the YSP in Hadramout (AI Mar. 1997, 6-7).

In June 1994 Amin Ahmad Qassim, a businessman suspected of having business dealings with the YSP, was arrested and released without charge after five days. In November 1994 he was put under house arrest. On 3 December he was re-arrested and then released without charge on 10 January 1995, whereupon he was placed under house arrest until June 1995 (AI Mar. 1997, 7-8).

On 27 July 1994 (Awadh (Ali (Abd al-Habib, a businessman suspected of having business dealings with the YSP, was arrested in Aden, detained for 20 days and allegedly beaten (AI Mar. 1997, 8). "In about October," in an apparent effort to secure the surrender of (Awadh (Ali (Abd al-Habib, security forces arrested his father. (Awadh (Ali (Abd al-Habib turned himself in the day after his father was arrested, and his father was released (ibid.). According to Amnesty International,

During his initial detention by the PS he was reportedly interrogated from 9pm until 6am for five successive nights. During the interrogations he was apparently faced with a number of accusations which included being in possession of money belonging to the YSP and involvement in armed militia activities. He remained in detention without charge or trial and his house and other belongings were confiscated. He was released in February 1995 without charge. (ibid.)

A 19 December 1994 Compass Newswire report states that businessman Amin Ahmad Qassem, a YSP member, was arrested "for alleged illegal investment of 'suspicious' foreign money," although it does not provide a specific date.

Agence France Presse reported that YSP official Abdel Karim Saleh al-Jihmi was killed on 7 January 1994 by unidentified gunmen in front of his home in Sanaa. The report added that al-Jihmi "was the second YSP official to be killed in 10 days and the 152nd party member to fall victim to gunmen since North and South Yemen merged in May 1990" (8 Jan. 1994).

Reuters reports that a former YSP candidate in the 1993 elections, Ali Jamil, was killed by unknown gunmen on 11 February 1995 in front of his home in Sanaa (12 Feb. 1995).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 8 January 1994. "Yemen Socialist Party Official Slain in Sanaa Attack." (NEXIS)

Amnesty International. March 1997. Yemen: Ratification Without Implementation: The State of Human Rights in Yemen (AI Index: MDE 31/01/97). London: Amnesty International.

Compass Newswire. 19 December 1994. "Socialist Businessman Arrested in Yemen." (NEXIS)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996. 1997. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Reuters. 12 February 1995. BC Cycle. "Member of Yemeni Socialist Party Shot Dead." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 31 May 1994. "Interior Minister Denies Political Arrests in Yemen." (NEXIS)

_____. 8 January 1994. "Yemen Socialist Party Official Slain in Sanaa Attack." (NEXIS)

Al-Hayat [London, in Arabic]. 5 December 1996. "President Interviewed on Relations with Saudi Arabia, Socialist Party." (BBC Summary 7 Dec.1996/NEXIS)

Al-Quds al-(Arabi [London, in Arabic]. 25 March 1997. "Yemen: YSP Aide on Reasons for Election Boycott." (FBIS-NES-97-058 25 Mar. 1997/WNC)

Al-Sharq al-Awsat [London, in Arabic]. 17 April 1997. "Interior Ministry Denies Detention of Socialist Party Leader." (BBC Summary 19 Apr. 1997/NEXIS)

_____ . 13 August 1994. "Sanaa Said Committed to Trying Secessionists." (FBIS-NES-94-159 13 Aug. 1994/WNC)

Compass Newswire. 1 December 1994. "Saleh Appeals to Exiled Rivals to Return and Help Rebuild Yemen." (NEXIS)

Radio Monte Carlo [Paris, in Arabic]. 26 April 1997. "Yemen: Al-Iryani: Yemeni Opposition Groups in Pay of Saudi Arabia." (FBIS-NES-97-116 26 Apr. 1997/WNC)

Reuters. 12 February 1995. BC Cycle. "Member of Yemeni Socialist Party Shot Dead." (NEXIS)