Yemen Observer - 2006 Cartoon Thumbnails and Blasphemy Trial

2006 Cartoon Thumbnails and Blasphemy Trial

On 4 February 2006, the Yemen Observer published two articles on Muslim reactions to the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. The articles were accompanied by photographs showing 20-30,000 Yemeni women demonstrating against the cartoons, and empty shelves in a Sanaá supermarket with a sign informing customers that Danish products had been withdrawn. Also included were crossed-out thumbnail images of three of the Danish cartoons.

On 11 February 2006, former chief editor Mohammed Al-Asadi was arrested on charges of offending Islam. He was released on bail on 22 February 2006. In a trial that began on 23 February 2006, prosecution lawyers called for al-Asadi to be sentenced to death, for the paper to be closed and for all of its assets to be confiscated. Al-Asadi denied all charges and his defence team argued that the thumbnail images were accompanied by articles that condemned the cartoons and reported reactions from across the Islamic world. The prosecution claimed that the charges rested on the pictures alone, and that the accompanying articles should not be taken into account. After his release, Al-Asadi founded the Yemen Mirror.