20 Yemenis arrested over riots face trial for calls against national unity

Sana'a: About 20 Yemenis will be put on trial following recent riots that killed two people and wounded dozens in southern provinces.

"Investigations [of] about 20 people arrested in the riots ... in Aden and Mukalla ... are [over] and they will be referred to courts very soon," the Defence Ministry website quoted an unidentified official as saying.

Earlier in the week, the country's highest security committee said it would put on trial for charges of "major treason" any individual or organisation calling for separation. Some of the demonstrators in the southern cities of Aden and Mukalla used slogans against greater unity between south and north.

"Any political party or group or individual [that] uses slogans against the national unity or calls for splitting the nation will be put on trial for charges of major treason according to constitution and laws in effect," said a statement issued by supreme security committee.

The committee said it will take all necessary procedures to refer those elements to the prosecution and courts, the statement added.

It called upon all citizens, organisations and political parties to cooperate with the local authorities to stand against elements who work against the unity.

The opposition, however, considered the step as a return to the era of "tyranny and muzzling".

'Hating injustice'

"I wonder if slogans against corruption and injustice and plundering the lands and properties and also calling for equal citizenship ... are against the unity," said Aidarous Al Naqeeb, chairman of the parliamentary bloc of the Yemen Socialist Party, which used to rule the south before unity in 1990.

"Those who call for separation are very few and they are put in the demonstrations either by the security or they are a group of naive people. But the government should know the reasons why they use such slogans and it should treat these reasons."

The socialist official, who is from the south, said the people in the south do not hate unity but they hate injustice.

"All Yemenis, especially the southerners, cheered for the unity ... during and after the war of '94. So what caused them to be against the unity now, we should know the reasons, because they don't hate unity but they hate the injustice and corruption and bad conditions," Al Naqeeb said.