Yemen: Execution of female death row inmate postponed

Yemen Times
The appealed court hearing of a woman in Ibb who had been sentenced to death in a self-defense case has been postponed until the end of December due to the resignation of the judge presiding over the case.

Raja Al-Hakami, 29, was imprisoned in October 2010 for shooting a 37-year-old man she said was trying to enter her home.

After the woman was initially sentenced to 2 years in prison and ordered to pay the victim's family an undetermined amount of money, the family appealed the decision. Al-Hakami was then sentenced to death by the Appeals Court.

Her case has drawn the attention of human rights activists, many of whom gathered outside the courtroom on Monday as the Appeals Court judge resigned, saying he wanted to uphold the death sentence.

Under increasing pressure from activist groups in June, including the Ibb branch of HOOD, the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedom, the Supreme Court in Ibb overturned the women's death sentence and returned the case to the Appeals Court.

"Executing Al-Hakmi is executing the dignity of all Yemeni women," said Mohammed Al-Moalmi, who gathered outside the courtroom to advocate for Al-Hakimi's case.

Abdulla Hassan Al-Mosawa, the lawyer representing the victim's family, also withdrew from the case this week.

"The victim's relatives insisted I continue, but I withdrew because my role was over after the first [Court of] Appeal's verdict," he said.

Faisel Al-Humaidi, the head of HOOD in Ibb and 1 of the 4 lawyers defending Al-Hakami, is optimistic that the Appeals Court will not uphold the death penalty for their client, calling her trial "unfair" and a "clear case of self defense."

"The law stipulates that if any person attacks you inside your house, you have the right...to defend yourself," Al-Humaidi said. "Yet the judge [in this case] did not rule in accordance."

Ameen Al-Hakami, Raja's brother, said at the time of shooting, Raja was living with their 80-year-old father.

Al-Hakami has been in Ibb Central Prison since Oct. 20, 2010.