Yemen’s human rights minister resigns after protest deaths

From Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN

(CNN) — Yemen’s minister of human rights, Huda al-Baan, has resigned after a government crackdown on protesters resulted in the deaths of 52 people last week, an official in her office said Sunday.

The official did not want to be identified as he or she is not authorized to speak to the media.

In addition to the fatalities, more than 100 people were hurt Friday in clashes between tens of thousands of anti-government protesters and security forces outside Sanaa University in the Yemeni capital, medical officials on the scene said.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that a state of emergency had been declared, and he expressed his “deep regret” over the casualties.

Witnesses said the clashes began after government supporters and anti-government demonstrators threw rocks at each other. Security forces shot into the air and then into the crowd; they also fired tear gas to try to disperse the crowd, witnesses said.

Yemen has been wracked by weeks of unrest, with thousands protesting Saleh’s government.

High unemployment has fueled much of the anger among a growing young population steeped in poverty. The protesters also cite government corruption and a lack of political freedom.

The president has said he will not run for another term in the next round of elections. He also has pledged to bring a new constitution to a vote by the end of the year and transfer government power to an elected parliamentary system.

Journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.