Yemeni president urges Aznar to release journalist Teiseir Allouni

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has urged the Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar yesterday to release al-Jazeera TV correspondent who is detained in Spain on charges of contacting and collaborating with al-Qaida organization.

A source close to the Yemeni Presidency said that Saleh stressed during telephone talks with the Spanish prime minister that arresting correspondent Teiseir Allouni on the background of practicing a media profession is considered unprecedented incident and a political detention that violates the freedom of the press and human rights.

Saleh expressed his hope that Aznar will interfere in this case which has become the preoccupation of the Arab and Islamic public opinion and persons concerned with the freedom of the press and rights of journalist to contact his sources and receive information in the course of performing his job.

However, Libya's Leader of the Revolution Colonel Muammar al Qathafi said in a statement yesterday to al-Jazeera TV that he had debated the question of Allouni with the Spanish prime minister during their meeting in Tripoli.

The Libyan leader added that Aznar promised him to send all reports concerning this case so as the picture will be clear on the justification behind detaining Allouni, but he promised him nothing, noting the independence of the Spanish judiciary.