A Yemeni leading opposition leader on Thursday called for the opposition parliament members not to pass an immunity law for outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, demanding the long-time leader stand trial for "crimes against months-long protest movement", Xinhua reported.
Hameed al-Ahmar, a leading tribal leader of the opposition coalition National Council, which was formed to lead opposition forces against the rule of Saleh, said in a statement that "the proposed law shows the neglect of the bloodshed of the Yemenis."
Saleh's immunity law was stipulated by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative that was signed in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 23, 2011.
Under the deal the Yemeni parliament members of the ruling party and the opposition coalition should adopt a law later to grant Saleh immunity from prosecution before the president resigns.
"I called on the parliament members of the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) to vote down Saleh's immunity law, and anyone who attempts to pass it would be a partner of Saleh's crimes," al-Ahmar said.
The opposition leader's move came one day after the public prosecution kicked off an investigation into a formal complaint filed by Saleh against a number of his opponents for last year's bomb attack on his presidential compound in Sanaa.
On Aug. 15, 2011, the government blamed Hameed al-Ahmar for masterminding the June 3 bomb attack which killed at least 13 high- ranking military and government officials and forced 87 others, including Saleh, to seek medical treatment for months in neighboring Saudi Arabia, according to the official Saba news agency.
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