Urgent appeal to release the youngest political prisoners of the world
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Aden
Ahmed Al-Rabizi
urgent appeal: Freedom for the smallest political prisoner in the world
To all activists in the field of human rights
To all human rights organizations in Yemen, the Arab countries and world wide
Herewith I would like to inform you about one of many cases of human rights violations the people of South Yemen are exposed to. We consider this case as a major violation against the human right of a child who has not reached his age of 15 yet. It is a case of a young boy called Moataz Al-Essawi who was arrested on October 13th 2010 on his way from Aden to the province of Radfan to participate in a festival organized and hosted by the Peaceful Southern Movement. Moataz was with his brothers and other relatives on a Taxi when the security forces stopped the taxi by a checkpoint at the entrance to Aden and get all the passengers out of the car. Moataz and his relatives were transferred immediately to the a prison of the Political Security where the relatives of Moataz were released a few days later, however, Moataz himself was transferred to (Al-Fath prison) the main prison of the Political Security in Aden. He is still arrested there and banned from any visits, even his mother was not allowed to visit him. All efforts his family has made to visit him failed. His family appealed to human rights organizations inside and outside the country to put pressure on the regime of Sanaa to release their little son and to enable him to continue his school but no success so far. (Included is also a picture of Moataz).
Dear human rights activists
Dear supporters of childhood
The case of this young boy shows how the ruling Yemeni regime violates human rights and all applicable laws and international conventions signed by this regime itself including the universal declaration of human rights. This regime did not respect even the child protection act.
As a media activist and an activist for human rights but also as a former prisoner, I urge you to commit yourself to your responsibility to this case and to support Moataz, the youngest political detainee in the world, and his family to get him released from the prison of the Political Security where he is still detained without any charge except his intention to participate in a peaceful activity of the Southern Movement. This detention has no legal justification, and this is the second time Moataz is arrested in this was. The first time was with a group of demonstrators in Aden where he was released some days later without any charge against him.
Dear Friends
It is the right of Moataz Al-Essawi to continue his school like all other children in the world. The fact that Al-Essawi is denied from this right shows how far the Yemeni government actually goes in disregarding the rights to child protection and all the calls for humanitarian and conventions for the protection of children as well as indicating the lack of respect and commitment to welfare of young people.
We appeal to you to put increased pressure on the government in Sanaa to speed the release of Moataz in order to return him to his family.
Media and human rights activist
/ Ahmed Al-Rabizi