SANA’A, April 28 — General Prosecutor Dr. Ali Al-Awash ordered on Sunday the investigation of former President Ali Abdulla Saleh, his son Ahmed Ali Abdulla Saleh, his brother Ali Saleh Al-Ahmar and affiliates.
They are accused of being responsible for the killing of five men who were part of a tribal mediation team killed during the uprising of 2011, which prosecutors are calling an “act of terrorism.”
One of the stipulations of the Gulf Initiative signed in November 2012 by Saleh was in return for stepping down from power, he would be granted total immunity from criminal and judicial persecution in Yemeni courts. However, aides and officials who worked with the former president could potentially be brought to court as “terrorists.”
In May 2011, a group of independent sheikhs—meaning they had sided with neither anti nor pro government forces—was in the middle of negotiations in a house belonging to Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar when a rocket blasted through the upper floors, killing five and injuring four.
The families of the deceased have accused the president and his family for being directly responsible for the attack, which was launched from nearby Nuqom Mountain.
Lawyer Abdulrahman Barman said the prosecution will listen to the complaints of the victims’ families, and then decide how to proceed.
Faisel Al-Majeedi, the lawyer of the victims’ families, called the announcement of the investigations “a victory.” He called it the “greatest decree in the history of Yemeni courts.”
Al-Majeedi said the acts of the president and his sons could be classified as terrorism and for this reason he could be brought to court.
In related news, families of revolutionaries killed on the March 18 2011, or the Friday of Dignity have also accused 73 civilians of being involved in the attacks in Change Square that left more than 45 dead and wounded 200.
Hamza Dinma, a brother of one young revolutionary who was killed last March, said he hoped to one day see those responsible brought to court.
“God’s justice is approaching,” he said
However, Mohammed Al-Maswari, a lawyer, said so far the Supreme Court has turned down requests to review the immunity law, adding that it would be unlikely Saleh or his family would ever be tried in court.
Former President Saleh left for Saudi Arabia over one month ago to seek medical treatment and returned to Yemen last week.
