Published on 20 August 2013 in News
Mohammed Al-Hassani (author)
Many violations go unreported, judges afraid of appearing ‘weak’
SANA’A, Aug. 19—A human rights report issued by a local organization at the beginning of August revealed that 59 violations have taken place so far this year against judiciary staff, including judges, prosecutors, lawyers and administrators in relation to their work.
The report, issued by the Esnaad Center for Empowering an Independent Judiciary and Rule of Law, states that judges, lawyers and administrators have faced nine murder attempts, two kidnappings, five physical injuries and 19 other threats of varying degrees of seriousness this year.
The report also documented seven armed attacks on judges’ homes, seven attacks on their vehicles and eight separate attacks on courts throughout Yemen. A majority of perpetrators behind the attacks are still at large.
The head of the Esnaad Center, Faisal Al-Majidi, said the report is based on available judicial documents as well as statistics gathered from the Ministry of Justice and media reports.
However, Al-Majidi realizes the report has its limitations.
“Figures in the report don’t represent all abuses and violations committed against judicial employees nationwide,” he said. “Several violations are not reported, particularly in remote areas where media and human rights organizations are largely absent.”
Many judges have said they are hesitant to report attacks and violations because they fear they will appear weak.
In line with mounting instability all over the nation, Al-Majidi says violations against the judiciary will continue as long as there is a compromised central state that cannot protect civilians or state workers.
A local judge and former minister of the Ministry of Endowment, Hamoud Al-Hitar, said he and fellow judges constantly feel like they are under threat.
“When I was the head of the Court for Appeals in Sana’a, I received death threats,” Al-Hitar said.
“The judiciary will never earn prestige or independence if the state is unable to protect its judges,” he added.
The Yemeni Judicial Forum media officer, Redhwan Al-Omisi told the Yemen Times that he believes the recently released report to be valuable and accurate of the circumstances judges face.
Al-Omisi expects violations to increase in the absence of a government authority taking them seriously.