Minister of Legal Affairs Mohammad al-Mikhlafi has accused the General People Congress (GPC) led by the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh of standing behind impediment of passing the transitional justice law.
In remarks to al-Khaleej, al-Mikhlafi ruled out allegations that the passing of the transitional justice law will create a political crisis in the state, particularly after Saleh threatened to withdraw ministers of the GPC from the government.
The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) and the GPC continue to exchange accusations about the derailment of the Transitional Justice Law.
The transitional justice law is designed to end conflict between Yemenis by compensating the victims of local crises that occurred between 1994 and 2012, while maintaining the immunity clause included in the Gulf Cooperation Council power transfer initiative.
All the concerned parties were called by the Legal Affairs Ministry to present their proposal observations and opinions on the law.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the law “would violate Yemen’s human rights obligations.”
Transitional justice laws were applied in some countries such as Morocco, South Africa, and Indonesia in the wake of sectarian, ethnic or political conflicts. Through this law, it is hoped that conflicting sides will reach a settlement in a period of political shift.
Jamal Benomar, U.N. Envoy to Yemen, asserted on June 8 that the transitional law is a demand of the Security Council after the reticence of the UN regarding the immunity given to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh which contravened UN principals concerning war crimes and human rights violations.