Yemenis demand Saleh prosecution
Thousands of Yemenis have rallied in the capital, Sana’a, to demand the prosecution of country’s unpopular ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Rejecting a power transition deal signed by Saleh in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, which granted him immunity in return for resignation, Yemenis said on Friday that Saleh must be brought to justice over the killing of hundreds of anti-government protesters since opposition rallies began in the country in late January.
Yemenis say the US-backed deal fell far short of the demands of protesters, who have been holding mass demonstrations for months, and that they will continue their protest rallies until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, at least two people have been killed in heavy clashes between forces loyal to Saleh and revolutionary fighters in Sana’a outside the residence of Yemeni Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi.
Witnesses say regime troops attacked opposition fighters with machine-guns and mortars, some of which landed in residential areas.
Saleh signed the power transfer deal brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council to end months of protests in the country in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Wednesday.
Under the deal, the Yemeni dictator transfers his presidential powers to his deputy, Hadi, who is expected to form a national unity government and also call for early presidential elections within a 90-day period.
Source: presstv.ir
