Yemeni protesters demand trial for President Saleh

Yemeni protesters demand trial for President Saleh

2011-12-31 09:53:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

SANAA (BNO NEWS) -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Yemen on Friday to demand that embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh face trial for the killings of hundreds of anti-government protesters during the uprising this year.

Saleh handed over presidential powers to his deputy last month and agreed to leave office in February 2012 after signing a political agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Under the accord, Saleh received immunity from prosecution, which has been rejected by some protesters.

Earlier this week, Saleh applied for a visa to enter the United States for medical treatment. He said he would leave for the US "in the coming days... to get out of sight... to calm the atmosphere for the unity government to hold the presidential election" in February. But he has also said he would return later as "an opposition figure", the BBC reported.

Saleh previously spent more than three months in Saudi Arabia to recover from injuries he sustained in a rocket attack which hit the mosque of the presidential palace in Sanaa on June 3. It was part of an uprising against his government which began in February, resulting in a crackdown by security forces which left at least 1,500 people killed.

A national unity government, led by Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, was sworn in earlier this month in an effort to restore peace and democracy. The ruling party and opposition parties evenly divided the 34 ministries.

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