Yemeni journalists released on bail

Sanaa: Yemeni judicial authorities on Wednesday released on bail three journalists being tried for reprinting the controversial cartoons after clerics said they should not be punished.

Mohammad Al Asadi, Editor-in-Chief of the English-language Yemen Observer, Akram Sabra, Editing Manager of the Arabic- language Al Huria, and his deputy, Yahya Abed, were released after spending two weeks in custody.

A number of Yemeni religious scholars had said "good intentions" should intercede for the journalists who reprinted the cartoons considering that there was no criminal intention.

Well-known preacher Al Habib Al Jafri told reporters yesterday, "The journalists who reprinted the cartoons should not be jailed or face any other punishment as long as they made a mistake without the intention of offending, and Allah knows best."

Supreme Court Judge Morshid Arshan said, "Those who reprinted the cartoons with the sign X on them were intending to reply to the satirical cartoons and were defending Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)."

However, he said, "The method was wrong. If the criminal intention is not there, the perpetrator should not be punished, but the cartoons should not be reprinted even if it is in the context of defending the prophet."

The newspapers are still closed down after the Ministry of Information cancelled their licences. The ministry filed a lawsuit against three newspapers earlier this month: Yemen Observer, Al Huria and Al Ray Al Am and cancelled their licences.

The Editor-in-Chief of Al Ray Al Am is still at large.