الرئيسية
SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's parliament approved a law on Saturday
granting outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from
prosecution, part of a deal for him to step down after nearly a year of
unrest.
Protesters and the opposition have accused the security forces,
controlled by the president and aides, of using troops and snipers to
kill hundreds of demonstrators who, inspired by revolts elsewhere in the
Arab world, began protesting against his rule last January.
Lawmakers also backed Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as the
candidate for all parliamentary parties in a presidential election next
month to replace Saleh, in power for 33 years.
The immunity law, backed by a majority, stops short of giving full
protection to Saleh's aides after being amended to say they would have
immunity only for "politically motivated" crimes committed carrying out
official duties, not for those considered "terrorist acts."
A United Nations envoy welcomed the amendment limiting the immunity,
which U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay has said could violate
international law.
"I am pleased that immunity law has been modified but it does not go
far enough. The scope of the law is still too broad. The UN cannot
condone a broad amnesty that covers UN classified crimes against
humanity, genocide, war crimes, gross violations of human rights, and
sexual violence," Jamal Benomar said.
granting outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from
prosecution, part of a deal for him to step down after nearly a year of
unrest.
Protesters and the opposition have accused the security forces,
controlled by the president and aides, of using troops and snipers to
kill hundreds of demonstrators who, inspired by revolts elsewhere in the
Arab world, began protesting against his rule last January.
Lawmakers also backed Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as the
candidate for all parliamentary parties in a presidential election next
month to replace Saleh, in power for 33 years.
The immunity law, backed by a majority, stops short of giving full
protection to Saleh's aides after being amended to say they would have
immunity only for "politically motivated" crimes committed carrying out
official duties, not for those considered "terrorist acts."
A United Nations envoy welcomed the amendment limiting the immunity,
which U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay has said could violate
international law.
"I am pleased that immunity law has been modified but it does not go
far enough. The scope of the law is still too broad. The UN cannot
condone a broad amnesty that covers UN classified crimes against
humanity, genocide, war crimes, gross violations of human rights, and
sexual violence," Jamal Benomar said.