The Yemeni authorities must end the routine violent repression of freedom of assembly by its security forces, Amnesty International said ahead of mass demonstrations planned tomorrow in the south of the country.

Protest marches organized by the Southern Movement, which demands a peaceful secession from the rest of Yemen, are due to converge in the city of Aden on Thursday.

Poorly regulated international arms transfers continue to contribute to the recruitment and use of children under the age of 18 in hostilities.

Yemen could face another human rights crisis unless the authorities act now to end persistent abuses in the country and take steps to address past violations, Amnesty International said today.

In its 11-point agenda for human rights change in Yemen, Amnesty International said that human rights violations were still taking place in a climate of impunity, a long-standing problem further entrenched by the immunity granted to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his officials earlier this year.

3 February 2011 was the day when protests in Yemen transformed into a mass movement. On that day a broad group of mainly students and activists calling itself the Youth of 3 February (since referred to itself as Youth of the Revolution) attracted tens of thousands of people to mass protests in the capital Sana’a.

Amnesty International has urged the Yemeni parliament to reject a draft law granting President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his aides immunity from prosecution, after Yemen’s cabinet approved the controversial bill on Sunday.

The draft law, which the country’s parliament is expected to ratify in the coming days, grants President Saleh and anyone who has worked under him amnesty for any crimes committed during his 33-year rule.

An additional clause in the bill means it will be impossible to repeal the law once it is passed.

Middle East and North Africa: Protest and repression set to continue in 2012

Repression and state violence is likely to continue to plague the Middle East and North Africa in 2012 unless governments in the region and international powers wake up to the scale of the changes being demanded of them, Amnesty International warned today in a new report into the dramatic events of the last year.

A power-transfer agreement reportedly granting Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and others immunity from prosecution in exchange for leaving office deals a serious blow to victims of human rights violations, Amnesty International said today.

Arms trade to Middle East and North Africa shows failure of export controls

The USA, Russia and European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year’s uprisings despite having evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

The Yemeni authorities must immediately stop the killing of peaceful protesters by security forces, Amnesty International said today following reports that dozens of people have been shot dead in the capital Sana'a since Sunday.

Hundreds more are said to have been injured after security forces used snipers and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) against protesters marching to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Around 26 people were killed on Sunday. The continuing violence has seen more killed in Sana'a today.