UN worried about Yemen, Bahrain

Mourners carry the body of an anti-government protester during a funeral in Sana'a, Yemen on March 22

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/171239.html

The UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed deep concerns over the brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters in Yemen and Bahrain.

"We remind the Yemeni government that fundamental rights, such as the right to life, and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, cannot be derogated from under any circumstances, even in a public emergency," OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said.

He also called for an independent probe into the killings of Yemeni protesters, especially the Friday carnage in front of Sana'a University that led to the death of dozens of people, the UN news center reported on Tuesday.

Anti-regime protests in Yemen gained momentum on Tuesday as some top military generals deserted the government to join the country's popular revolution. Opposition groups once again called on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down immediately.

The situation has remained “very worrying” in Bahrain, where up to 100 people have been reported missing, Colville said. Two of them have reportedly been found dead.

The Bahraini government has also detained or threatened people, including political and human rights activists and hospital staff, who have spoken to media and given information about the killing committed by the government, reports said.

"It is vital that the authorities scrupulously abide by international standards. People should not be arbitrarily arrested and should not be detained without clear evidence that they have committed a recognized crime," the spokesman stated.

Bahraini people also continued demonstrations on Tuesday, as they held mourning ceremonies for the death of a woman shot dead by security forces.

More than 70 people, at least 20 in Bahrain and 50 in Yemen, have been killed during anti-government protests.