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| Arabia | |
| Yemen rebels seek presidential pardon | |
| 2005-05-13 | |
| SANAA - Leaders of a Yemeni rebel group involved in an anti-government rebellion that has cost the lives of hundreds of people have appealed for a presidential pardon, officials said. The call in a letter signed by the Faithful Youth movement's spiritual leader Badr Eddin al-Huthi came after the authorities claimed they had put down the revolt in the northwest of the impoverished country after fighting that left some 280 people dead. Presidential sources quoted the letter as saying the rebels were surprised by the launch of the assault in April, which they described as "unjustifiable... as we have never denied the presidential regime." "As citizens, we ask you to bring to an end the injustice committed against us. If this is done, we are prepared to present ourselves (to the authorities) at any moment," the letter said.
April's fighting followed another uprising led by Huthi's son, Hussein, a radical preacher killed by the army last September after leading a nearly three-month revolt in which more than 400 people were killed. Authorities announced last month that they had put down the uprising in Saada province but that leaders of the "sedition" were still The Zaidis are a Shiite Muslim sect dominant in northwest Yemen but in the minority in the mainly Sunni country. The rebels reject as illegitimate the republican regime, which seized power in a 1962 coup, overthrowing the Zaidi imamate. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |