In contrast to the official sanction given recently to articles bashing Saudi Arabia in Libya, Yemen last month punished two chief editors and two columnists for printing articles that portrayed Saudi life as less than idyllic.
In one case, a series of articles took a critical look at Saudi security crackdowns - netting the editor and a journalist of Al-Ehyaa Al-Arabi six-month suspended sentences. According to the Saudi English-language Arab Press newspaper (December 27), "The Yemeni Information Ministry sent the two men to trial on May 19 after ruling that the articles violated the Press Law, harmed Yemen's relations with Saudi Arabia, and promoted terrorism, extremism and their perpetrators."
The other incident, in which six- and four-month suspended sentences were handed down against the editor and a reporter respectively, involved a report by the Al-Tajamou weekly that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah was targeted in an assassination attempt.
The veracity of the reports was not at issue in either charge sheet. At stake was the political damage that Yemen might suffer if its press - controlled and thus representing the regime - is seen to "insult" neighboring Saudi Arabia. Hence, Arab News concluded its own report by noting that a third Yemeni newspaper was able to "apologize" on behalf of Yemen: "In a front-page editorial, the Ath-Thawra daily extended Yemen's apologies to the Saudi leadership for those insults."
In one case, a series of articles took a critical look at Saudi security crackdowns - netting the editor and a journalist of Al-Ehyaa Al-Arabi six-month suspended sentences. According to the Saudi English-language Arab Press newspaper (December 27), "The Yemeni Information Ministry sent the two men to trial on May 19 after ruling that the articles violated the Press Law, harmed Yemen's relations with Saudi Arabia, and promoted terrorism, extremism and their perpetrators."
The other incident, in which six- and four-month suspended sentences were handed down against the editor and a reporter respectively, involved a report by the Al-Tajamou weekly that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah was targeted in an assassination attempt.
The veracity of the reports was not at issue in either charge sheet. At stake was the political damage that Yemen might suffer if its press - controlled and thus representing the regime - is seen to "insult" neighboring Saudi Arabia. Hence, Arab News concluded its own report by noting that a third Yemeni newspaper was able to "apologize" on behalf of Yemen: "In a front-page editorial, the Ath-Thawra daily extended Yemen's apologies to the Saudi leadership for those insults."