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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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29 April 2009

URGENT ALERT: Yemen – Yemeni political prisoner Ibrahim Ali Al-Nashery dies in police custody, authorities offer no explanation

Contents
1. Alert
2. Action required
3. Sample letter

1. Alert

On Monday, 20 April 2009, the body of 26-year-old Yemeni national Ibrahim Ali Al-Nashery was handed over to his family by Yemeni security officers. Mr Al-Nashery had been in a military hospital in Sana’a since March of this year. The Yemeni authorities have given no explanation as to the cause of Al-Nashery’s death, sighting ‘national security’ reasons. Ibrahim Al-Nashery is the third known political prisoner to die in police custody, following the death of Ali Amen Nader in 2006 and Hashem Abdullah Yahya Hajar in September 2007.

Ibrahem Ali Al-Nashery was arrested on 5 March 2008 at Sana’a International Airport after having been accused by the authorities of being a member of ‘The Believing Youth’, a Zaidi and Ithna Asheri group with which, in recent years, the government has been in serious clashes. On 27 March 2009, Mr Al-Nashery was transferred from Central Prison to a military hospital in Sana’a. Sources say his body was covered in serious wounds.

To read more about Mr.Al-Nashery’s case, please visit: https://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=3310

3. Action Required

Write to the minister of foreign affairs in your country expressing concern over the death of Mr Al-Nashery, and urging him/her to raise this issue with his/her Yemeni counterparts. UK campaigners will find the appropriate address, fax and email on the sample letter below.

4. Sample letter
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A sample letter is given below for your convenience. Please note that model letters can be sent directly or adjusted as necessary to include further details. If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you sent and the reply you received to IHRC. This is very important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters. It is preferable that letters be sent via post, or otherwise by fax and/or email.

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[Your name] [Your address]
Rt. Hon. David Miliband MP
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

[Date]

Dear Mr Miliband,

Re: Death of Mr. Ibrahem Ali Al-Nashery in police custody

I am deeply concerned over recent death of Mr. Ibrahem Ali Al-Nashery, a Yemeni national who was in police custody since his arrest by Yemeni police on 5th March 2008.Mr Al-Nashery, who was accused of being a follower of Husain Badr Al Din al Houthi, was transferred from Central Prison to a military hospital in Sana’a on 27th March of this year. On Monday 20th April Mr. Al-Nashery’s body was handed over to his family by security officers. The Yemeni authorities gave no explanation as to the cause of Mr. Al-Nashery’s death, sighting ‘national security’ reasons.

Following the deaths of Ali Amen Nader in 2006 and Hashem Abdullah Yahya Hajar in September 2007, Ibrahim Al-Nashery is the third political prisoner known to have died in police custody. It seems that deaths of political prisoners are becoming all too common as human rights abuses and religious persecution continue in Yemen. I request you to urge the Yemeni authorities to investigate the case of Mr. Al-Nashery, and call for an end to such deaths under police custody. Further, I request you to urge the Yemeni government to ensure the welfare of all political prisoners and to treat them in accordance with international human rights standards.

I look forward to hearing from you soon on this urgent matter.

Yours sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your name]

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Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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