Journalist close to defected army general arrested

By Nasser Arrabyee/01/04/2011

The journalist Abdul Ghani Al Shamiri, was arrested by the Yemeni security authorities from his house early Friday, sources said.

Al Shamiri, was the media person of the Ali Muhsen, the powerful army general who declared his support for the peaceful revolution against President Ali Abdullah Saleh earlier last month.

“Al Shamiri was the one who writes the statements and who answers the questions of the interviews with Ali Muhsen,” said the sources who saw Al Shamiri writing answering questions of an interview with general Muhsen.

“He was just answering written questions and sending them back to the media outlet,” the source added.

Earlier last month, Al Shamiri resigned from the ruling party and declared his support for the youth peaceful revolution.

Al Shamiri was appointed by President Saleh as the chairman of the Sana’a Satellite TV after the end of the 1994 civil war between the south and north.
Al Shamiri was very active and prominent TV reporter in covering that war in which Ali Muhsen was the most important general after Saleh.