The RSF condemns the large-scale killings practiced on citizens in the south

Yemenat

 RSF deeply condemns the open repression and killings practiced by the security forces in Aden in the last few days, starting on Thursday, February 21, 2013, as part of its brutal suppression against the peaceful southern movement that have expressed opposition to the political provocation which was formed by the insistence of Al-Eslah party and the President in holding an official ceremony in the first anniversary of his election as part of the Gulf initiative in the Al-arood square in Aden, a place which traditionally used by the peaceful southern movement to present their peaceful protest events.

The front views that the unprecedented violence and the high level of cruelty shown by the security forces as part of their response to the peaceful protest events organized by the Southern Movement disclose the existence of a high political decision stands behind all this. That decision gave the permission to all what happened of killings and the use of live ammunition that killed a large number of the activists and wounded many others. These events form a symbolism pairs the celebration of the day in which Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi became a president with violent repression acts and murders from which the citizens in the south suffered and still suffering, contradicting in its entirety with what is assumed to create a positive preparation for the National Dialogue supposed to be held in March.

The Front also emphasizes that what is happening in the south disclose the desire of different parties, led by the current system and Al-eslah, to suppress the southern movement and turn the protestors away from their peaceful pathway, and create a violent environment justifies launching wide-scale security procedures against their leaders, cadres and supporters that will not stop at political arrests but will extend to murder as recent events have revealed.

The front reiterating its condemnation for all the suffering of southerners of the massive violations of human rights and brutal repression and killings against civilians, it calls for the immediate cessation of all the unprecedented security procedures taken place in Aden and all southern provinces. It also call for dismantling the reasons underlying behind the current congestion and treating it by suitable official procedures. The front demands formatting an independent commission of inquiry with real powers to determine who was responsible for what happened of violations to ensure rapid calling to account and penalty for them.

Issued by the RSF
02/24/2013