Blasphemy in Yemen

Back in February, the Yemen Observer reprinted censored copies of the infamous Danish Mohammed cartoons, alongside editorials condemning their publication. The newspaper was closed, and its editor arrested and charged with blasphemy. And now, prosecutors have called for the death penalty.

This is simply barbaric. There is no other way to describe it. People should not be being criminally punished at all for what they write - let alone murdered.

From the story, it seems that Yemani law does not actually provide for the death penalty for blasphemy - but it is still rather frightening that prosecutors would demand it, and it does rather put our local struggle against blasphemy laws in perspective...