In recent weeks, gunmen loyal to Yemen’s former dictator Saleh have taken over the Defense and Interior Ministries, sowing panic in the capital and threatening to drag the country into a civil war, which could spillover into neighbors Saudi Arabia and Oman. But if we act now, we can help avert this chaos.

The only way to uproot Saleh’s crushing control is to strip away his financial might by imposing sanctions and freezing his assets. Much of Saleh’s stolen cash is in Germany, so if German Chancellor Angela Merkel leads a freeze on his assets, it could accelerate the end of his reign of terror. Let’s make sure the EU takes this crucial next step to pull Yemen back from civil war.

Avaaz members successfully petitioned to freeze both Qaddafi and Mubarak’s assets -- let’s do it again for the Yemeni people. Add your voice, and this petition will be delivered straight to Chancellor Merkel when we reach 10,000 signatures.

To German Chancellor Angela Merkel:
As concerned citizens across the region, we urge you to immediately impose sanctions on former Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, and to freeze his assets and those of family members involved in violence against civilians. Some of his stolen funds are in Germany, and the only way to protect the Yemeni people from his corrupt political meddling is to strip him of his financial stability. Saleh and his clan are risking civil war merely to cling to power, and have been linked to mass violence, Al Qaeda attacks and political turmoil. We urge you to put a stop to this reign of terror by imposing sanctions and freezing their assets now.