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Sana'a: The family of a Yemeni journalist said they were proud of the international award that their father received in prison this week.
On June 17, Amnesty International (AI) granted its 2008 "Special Award for Human Rights Journalism under Threat" to the Yemeni journalist Abdul Kareem Al Khaiwani who is serving a six-year term in a Yemeni prison.
"I and all my sisters and brothers, and our mother, are very happy and proud of this award, it reduces a lot of our suffering," said the 14-year-old daughter, Ala'a.
In a ceremony held in London, AI said that Abdul Kareem Al Khaiwani is "suffering persecution simply because of his professional work as a journalist, a totally unacceptable situation."
"I wish I were among you to accept this award in person and to talk to you face to face," said Al Khaiwani in a letter read on his behalf in the ceremony.
The 42-year-old Al Khaiwani, has five children, three daughters and two sons, the oldest is Mohammad who is 17-years-old.
"Yes, my brother Mohammad and my cousin go almost every day to see him in prison at lunch time," said Ala'a.
The family expressed their gratitude to AI and all other organisations and journalists who showed solidarity with the family.
"We never feel we are alone, we feel everybody is with us," said Ala'a in an interview with Gulf News. "And this helps my father also," said Ala'a, the oldest daughter, who is relatively familiar with press events.
She speaks on behalf of her sisters and brothers and also her mother who prefers to keep silent until her husband is released. On June 9, 2008, Al Khaiwani was sentenced to six years in prison for having links with a 14-member group of Al Houthi supporters who were convicted of forming an armed gang to carry out sabotage acts in the capital Sana'a during 2007.
Journalists, human rights activists, from inside and outside Yemen, expressed their support and solidarity with Al Khaiwani and demanded his immediate release because they see that putting him in prison immediately after the primary court verdict was a "wrong step".
Unlike other defendants while being tried, Al Khaiwani was released on bail by a court decree which was upheld by the appeal court. And last June 9, when he was sentenced to six years, he asked for an appeal. "So, he's still being tried, why is he jailed, before the final verdict," ask activists and advocates in a sit-in at the prosecutor's office earlier this week.
He was the editor-in-chief of the closed Al Shura newspaper, a mouth piece of the opposition Islamic party, the federation of popular forces, a small Zaidi party, which is not represented in parliament.
Al Khaiwani was previously jailed, kidnapped, and tortured, apparently for his critical writings against government officials including President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
He wrote about the inheritance of rule, which is a very sensitive issue, and also about the details and reasons of the war in Sa'ada between Al Houthi rebels and troops.
I and all my sisters and brothers, and our mother, are very happy and proud of this award, it reduces a lot of our suffering."
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