SABA destruction is a crime against the press: IFJ president says

SANA'A, April 14 (Saba) - President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed Saturday his deep resentment of the sabotage made in the Yemen News Agency (SABA) during the last year events.

After visiting the agency's building, Mr. Jim Boumelha said "The destruction I saw in SABA was a complete shock to me", describing it as a crime against the press and journalists in general.

The IFJ will spare no effort to cooperate with the Yemeni authorities to reinstate the Yemen news agency, Mr. Boumelha said.

"It is unacceptable that hundreds of journalists remain without work for over 9 months, while the authorities do nothing", calling on the Yemeni government to give top priority for restoring and equipping SABA building as soon as possible.

IFJ president, IFJ coordinator for the Middle East Munir Zaarour and Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) board members toured in some departments of the agency and were acquainted with the damage to the building and equipment by an attack occurred May 2011.

And toured the President of the International Federation of the number of sections in the press agency of the right of destruction, and briefed on the extent of the damage in the building of political and newspaper printing press of the new agency and public administration for editing the Arab and international levels.

Mr. Jim Boumelha arrived on Friday in Yemen. During the visit, he will hold talks with the President and Prime Minister on the situations of the press and freedom of expression in Yemen in addition to several issues pertaining to Yemeni journalists.

Mr. Boumelha will also take part in the enlarged meeting of the YJS branches' heads and unions committees' heads in the media institutions organized by YJS in cooperation with IFJ on April 13 -14.

The meeting will discuss essential issues concerning the YJS's statute and the achievements of the YJS's statute committee as well as the situation of the Yemeni state-owned media institutions.

Besides the journalism honor charter draft, issues of improving the journalists' living condition, protection and gender equality will be touched on in the meeting.

The meeting will pay tribute to the five journalists killed during the youth popular revolution, who are Jamal al-Sharabi, Hasan al-Wadhaf, Abdul-Majeed al-Samawi, Abdul-Hakim al-Nour and Fouad al-Shamiri.