CONFIDENTIAL
YEMEN
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF
Report by HM Embassy, Aden
General Observations
1.
The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen is a totalitarian State. It is closely controlled by a highly efficient security service trained and assisted by the East Germans. This by definition makes it a police state.
2.
There is no evidence of a trend for the better. If anything the State has consolidated its degree of control over every aspect of the citizens' life. The rate of arrests does not seem to be as high as it once was two or three years ago and indeed some amnesties are announced from time to time. This does not however reflect a softening of attitude, merely that the system is settling into an ordered form.
Right No.
(i) Imprisonment without trial is a
common feature. It is impossible to say with exactitude how many of the inhabitants, and foreigners, have suffered in this way but since the advent of the regime in 1969 the number could well be in the thousands.
(ii) Torture is commonly practiced in
(iii)
Al Fatah detention camp as a standard means of interrogation, against both men and women. We have received first- hand truthful reports of the brutality and the methods used.
Slavery as such is not known to exist.
(iv) Freedom of speech does not exist and the media of press, television and radio are directly controlled. Law No: 3 issued in May this year published a revised penal code detailing a number of ways in which the security of the State could be violated in this respect and pre- scribing specific penalties.
Rating suggested by Post
10
10
10
CONFIDENTIAL
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