Amnesty accolade for twice-jailed editor
ONE OF THE NUJ’s top officers stood in for the jailed winner of a special prize for courage in journalism.
Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani is the former editor of the political weekly Al-Shora in Yemen. He was imprisoned for six months in June for reporting an armed rebellion in Sa’da in the north of the country.
In the same month Amnesty International honoured him with its special award for human rights journalism under threat.
As the 42-year-old was in jail the award was received on his behalf by Jim Boumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists and a member of the NUJ national executive.
The award was presented in London by Alan Johnston, the former BBC reporter in Gaza who was held hostage for 114 days last year. “I benefited hugely from an extraordinary amount of public support when I was in captivity, and for that I will always be grateful,” he said.
“Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani is a man who has already endured the horrors of prison because of the stand that he’s taken. Despite that, he is determined to continue his work and has of course just been jailed again. That is an act of courage, and it is right that he is being honoured.”
Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani has strongly criticised Yemeni government policy in Sa’da. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people including civilians taking no part in the violence are believed to have been killed or forcibly displaced. The government denies journalists access to the area.
Jim Boumelha read an acceptance statement by Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani in which he said: “What I have been through is only an example of what other Yemeni journalists are facing in terms of attacks for carrying their professional and ethical duties.
“The situation of freedom of expression is worsening because of the authorities’ efforts to keep the local and international public opinion in the dark about serious crises such as the war that broke out in Sa’da.
“I was imprisoned four years ago. I was kidnapped and tortured more than once. But I have never been alone because of the solidarity and support from my colleagues.”