11 Mar 2010
Alkarama has just received news that Tonchenba Haider Ali, 22, has just been released from Sana'a's Central Women's prison. The young lady from Bengal was arrested on 20 February 2010 by Political Security forces following the detention of four other fellow Bengali students. At the time of her arrest, she was departing from Sana'a airport after having completed a three month Arabic language course in Yemen.
The four other Bengalis to be disappeared are: Tadhib Karim, arrested on 19 February 2010; Ma'in Al-Deen Sharif arrested on 14 February 2010; Radwan Sharif arrested on 18 February 2010; and Sadman Hussein arrested on 14 February 2010.
Alkarama was in the midst of preparing Ms Tonchenba's case for submission to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) when Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Berman, a lawyer and head of the Yemeni Prisoner's Organization, informed Alkarama of her release. Following these recent arrests, Mr Al-Berman sent two letters to the Interior Ministry and the head of the Yemen's Political Security Unit asking them to immediately intervene for the release of Ms Tonchenba, the only female in the group.
Alkarama continues to follow the situation of the four young men currently detained, with the intention of submitting their cases to the UN special procedures in order to put further pressure on the Yemeni authorities for their release.
The four other Bengalis to be disappeared are: Tadhib Karim, arrested on 19 February 2010; Ma'in Al-Deen Sharif arrested on 14 February 2010; Radwan Sharif arrested on 18 February 2010; and Sadman Hussein arrested on 14 February 2010.
Alkarama was in the midst of preparing Ms Tonchenba's case for submission to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) when Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Berman, a lawyer and head of the Yemeni Prisoner's Organization, informed Alkarama of her release. Following these recent arrests, Mr Al-Berman sent two letters to the Interior Ministry and the head of the Yemen's Political Security Unit asking them to immediately intervene for the release of Ms Tonchenba, the only female in the group.
Alkarama continues to follow the situation of the four young men currently detained, with the intention of submitting their cases to the UN special procedures in order to put further pressure on the Yemeni authorities for their release.