Beirut, 21 April, 2012 — On 16 April 2012, human rights defender, Mr Ali Al-Dailami, was detained at the airport in Sana’a following his participation in a human rights meeting held in Cairo. Defender Ali Al- Dailami is the Executive Director of the Yemeni Organization for the Defense of Democratic Rights and Freedom. He has been subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention in the past as a result of his human rights activities.

On 16 April 2012 the human rights defender was detained and interrogated by Yemeni security forces at the airport in Sana’a.  The security officers confiscated his passport and accused him of leaving Yemen illegally despite the fact that he had a valid departure stamp on his passport. He was told that he was being detained due to a ‘similarity of names’ however; the officers interrogating him stated that they knew he worked in the area of human rights.

Ali Al-Dailami was returning from a consultative meeting held on “Human rights in the Arab world and the role of international mechanisms for its promotion and protection” organized by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and International Service for Human Rights, which was attended by human rights defenders and civil society organizations in MENA region.

Following the incident, Ali Al-Dailami stated,  “I condemn this ill treatment each time I leave or arrive at Sana’a airport and the fact that my name is on the black list since 2006”.

Nabeel Rajab, director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights said : “Human rights defender Ali Dailami is one of the defenders who is internationally recognized for his continued  activity in order to defend the civil and human rights of the people of Yemen. The authorities in Yemen should completely stop these harassments and allow him to work freely.”

The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that the detention and interrogation of Ali Al-Dailami are directly related to his  human rights work and in particular his attendance and participation in the human rights meeting held in Cairo.

The GCHR urges the authorities in Yemen to:

1. Ensure that Ali Al-Dailami is able to travel freely without being subjected to detention or interrogation at the airport in Sana’a and that his name is removed from the black list;
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of  Ali Al-Dailami;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Yemen are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including travel harassment. 

GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 5 (a): “For the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels: (a) To meet or assemble peacefully ”, Article 6 (c): “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights is an independent centre and has been registered in Ireland. The Centre works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.