MINISTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS OUTLINES PRIORITIES; HRR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000505

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP - JONES; STATE FOR DRL - CRANER AND
TAGGART; STATE FOR G/TIP; NSC FOR ABRAHAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2014
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV YM HUMAN RIGHTS TRAFFICKING PERSONS
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS OUTLINES PRIORITIES; HRR
WELL-RECEIVED

REF: SANAA 472

Classified By: Ambassador Edmund J. Hull for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (c) Summary: Ambassador presented to the Minister of
Human Rights on 3/1 the 2003 U.S Annual Report on Human
Rights Practices on Yemen in Arabic. Already familiar with
the report, the Minister said that her Ministry welcomed the
report's findings. Overall, the Minister described it as
providing a fair and balanced portrayal of human rights
issues in Yemen, but admitted that there are some
shortcomings and Yemen still has a "ways to go." She said
that she briefed the report to President Saleh, who
congratulated her on the positive aspects of the report and
promised to support the reforms her Ministry is pushing. The
Report was also scheduled for ROYG cabinet discussion on 3/2.
She identified the Ministry's priorities as improving prison
conditions, reforming the judiciary and increasing awareness
of human rights issues. She explained that Yemen is
beginning to review and address possible sex trafficking
concerns raised by Post with ROYG interlocutors. Al-Soswah
also requested a meeting with the U.S. Delegation to the
Human Rights Commission in Geneva, from March 15-18 (action
request ref a). End Summary.

AWARENESS OF HUMAN RIGHTS HIGHER, REPORT BETTER RECEIVED


2. (c) Responding to the Ambassador's presentation, the
Minister explained the Report had previously been perceived
as an attempt to interfere in Yemen's internal affairs. She
welcomed U.S. observations this year, however, praising the
report's acknowledgment of areas of progress. She said she
was encouraged that the report is being viewed domestically
as constructive criticism among friends. She acknowledged
that this year's report is more "balanced" in giving credit
and assigning fault, and elaborated that perhaps the most
significant area of improvement was the President's support
of the Ministry of Human Rights. She noted that the
Political Security Organization (PSO) also pledged support
and indicated a willingness to cooperate with the Ministry in
addressing security issues as they affect human rights.
Al-Soswah said that she has requested input and responses
from ROYG colleagues to the information in the report to
formulate a unified official response, which she expects will
be completed within the next few months.

PRIORITIES: IMPROVED PRISON CONDITIONS, JUDICIAL REFORM AND
INCREASED HR AWARENESS


3. (c) Al-Soswah explained that most shortcomings highlighted
in the report stem from a lack of capacity or awareness that
there are problems. She highlighted three primary
priorities: improving prison conditions, reforming the
judiciary, and increasing awareness of human rights issues.
She described prison conditions as over-crowded and said that
prison guards lack training. Prisoners do not have access to
basic health care, food and legal representation. She
identified a lack of funding as the primary obstacle to
reforming the prison system, but said that the Ministry plans
to host a national symposium on prison conditions in April.
Al-Soswah further commented that the ill-treatment of female
prisoners continues to be an area of concern, and increased
awareness among individuals who handle female criminals is
needed. She said that private jails, not sanctioned by the
government, continue to exist and that some women are held in
these jails primarily for moral crimes, whether real or
perceived. The Minister considers private jails to be a
"shame" and cited the Ministry's work with women prisoners,
shunned by family and society, to create post-imprisonment
options for living and working. (Comment: Post will explore
MEPI Small Grants to support NGOs working in this area. End
Comment.)


4. (c) Al-Soswah said the Ministry plans to launch a human
rights awareness campaign that will include a request to the
Minister of Education to introduce human rights issues into
school curriculums. Later in March, the Ministry of Human
Rights will host a reception celebrating the graduation of
Islamic law students who, for the first time, studied
international law from a human rights perspective. Also, a
new refugee law is being drafted, which the Minister noted
will positively impact the estimated 500,000 or more refugees
in Yemen. The Ministry is also working on Yemen's first
annual report on human rights, which al-Soswah is confident
will be an independent report. Note: UNHCR estimates
refugee numbers to be between 70,000-75,000. End Note.

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS UNDER SCRUTINY - ESPECIALLY IRAQI
WOMEN POSSIBLY TRAFFICKED


5. (c) Regarding the issue of trafficking in persons, the
Minister reported that new visa restrictions have been
recently imposed, particularly for women arriving from Iraq.
Al-Soswah stated that there are approximately 100 people
arriving to Yemen from Iraq each week, and that a quiet
investigation into trafficking suspicions related to the sex
trade raised by Post is currently underway in both Aden and
Sana'a. The Minister assured the Ambassador that individuals
implicated in trafficking would be severely punished under
Yemeni laws. Comment: Her visa announcement tracks with
press reports that Iraqis are now required to obtain entry
visas and that Iraqis living in Yemen must pay a residency
fee of about 7,500 Riyals (about 40USD). The new
requirements represent a reversal of the reciprocal
arrangement between Yemen and Iraq under Saddam Hussein
eliminating the need for entry visas. End Comment.
HULL