Prosecute Saleh, Yemeni protesters say

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Sana’a to demand the prosecution of ousted dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh and the members of his inner circle.

On Sunday, the demonstrators called for the cancellation of Saleh’s immunity from prosecution, which was granted to him under a foreign-sponsored deal, and demanded that Saleh be tried for ordering the killing of hundreds of protesters.
The demonstration was held at a time when a UN Security Council team was in Sana’a to help the process of national reconciliation talks in the conflict-torn country.
Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years, stepped down in February 2012 under a US-backed power transfer deal in return for immunity, after a year of mass street demonstrations demanding his ouster.
His vice president, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, replaced him on February 25, 2012 following a single-candidate presidential election backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The demonstrators also called for a “return of funds stolen by the former president and his family.”
Yemenis continue to hold demonstrations to call for political restructuring of the country and to demand the dismissal of members of Saleh’s regime from their government posts.