President Saleh pardons al-Khaiwani

SANA’A, March 23 (Saba) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Wednesday pardoned an opposition newspaper editor who was serving a one-year sentence for inciting sectarian strife. The Sana’a Appeals Court upheld on Tuesday the sentence against Abdul-Kareem al-Khaiwani, editor-in-chief of the al-Shura weekly. Al-Khaiwani was convicted by a primary court on September 5 of incitement on behalf of Hussein Badruddin al-Houthi, a rebel cleric whose supporters fought government forces in mountainous areas of the Saada province. Presidential officials told Saba that the President Saleh pardoned al-Khaiwany and that he would be released soon. NN/KM SABA