Yemen bans two journalists over Prophet cartoons

SANAA, Dec 13 (Reuters) A Yemeni court banned a newspaper editor and a journalist from writing for one month today after finding them guilty of denigrating Islam by reprinting cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

A suspended four-month jail sentence was also imposed on Akram Sabra, the managing editor of al-Hurriya, and reporter Yehiya al-Abdel of the independent weekly.

The journalists said they republished the satirical caricatures, which provoked outrage among Muslims around the world earlier this year, to show how insulting they were.

''We will appeal the verdict despite it being the most lenient handed out in this case, but we will appeal the guilty conviction,'' lawyer Khaled al-Ansi told reporters.

Last month a court sentenced another Yemeni editor, Kamal al-Aalafi of al-Rai al-Aam newspaper, to one year in jail for reprinting the cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish daily in September 2005.

Another editor, Mohammad al-Assadi of the English newspaper Yemen Observer, was fined 500,000 rials ( SANAA, Dec 13 (Reuters) A Yemeni court banned a newspaper editor and a journalist from writing for one month today after finding them guilty of denigrating Islam by reprinting cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

A suspended four-month jail sentence was also imposed on Akram Sabra, the managing editor of al-Hurriya, and reporter Yehiya al-Abdel of the independent weekly.

The journalists said they republished the satirical caricatures, which provoked outrage among Muslims around the world earlier this year, to show how insulting they were.

''We will appeal the verdict despite it being the most lenient handed out in this case, but we will appeal the guilty conviction,'' lawyer Khaled al-Ansi told reporters.

Last month a court sentenced another Yemeni editor, Kamal al-Aalafi of al-Rai al-Aam newspaper, to one year in jail for reprinting the cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish daily in September 2005.

Another editor, Mohammad al-Assadi of the English newspaper Yemen Observer, was fined 500,000 rials ($2,541) this month.

Muslims called the cartoons blasphemous. The cartoons sparked protests early in 2006 in which more than 50 people were killed in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Reuters BDP GC1535 ,541) this month.

Muslims called the cartoons blasphemous. The cartoons sparked protests early in 2006 in which more than 50 people were killed in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Reuters BDP GC1535