Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Local News
Written By: Fares Anam
Article Date: Jul 15, 2008 - 3:35:06 AM
The West Secretariat Court fined the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) YR 10, 000 ($50) for not having a lawyer to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by a number of journalists on Sunday.
The lawsuit was filed on June 30 against the Head of the Syndicate, his deputies, the General Secretary and members of the Syndicate Council, demanding the suspension of their work, as well as the closure of the syndicate headquarters and forcing it into receivership.
The court session was presided over by Judge Mohammad al-Qadi and the presence of Secretary General Marwan Damaj, syndicate council member Sami Ghaleb, the lawyer of the syndicate and the journalists who filed the lawsuit.
The judge compelled the YJS to respond to the lawsuit filed against it by next Saturday.
The lawsuit demanded prompt judicial speech to the Ministry of Social Affairs and the formation of a preparatory committee and an internal system of the syndicate, according to the Press and Publications Law No. (25) of 1990 and under judicial supervision of the court.
The same court also rejected the lawsuit filed by two journalists Fekri Qasim and Sadiq Alshoie against the Information Ministry to detain the licenses of the newspapers Hadeth al-Madina (Talk of the Town) and the magazine Shababeek (Windows).
The judge justified the rejection that "the two journalists resorted to the judiciary after the expiry of the period specified by the law, which is thirty days."
He told the two journalists to apply to the Ministry of Information to give them new licenses, but in case of the ministry rejection they have the right to resort to the judiciary during the period specified legally.
However, the journalist Qasim explained that he would appeal against the rejection decision, explaining that the reason for his delay in access to justice is the procrastination of the Ministry of Information to give permission for his newspaper Hadeth al-Madina.