YEMEN. AMINA’S DEATH SENTENCE REVOKED

the Yemeni embassy in Rome announced that “by order of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the death sentence on Amina Ali Abulatif al Tuhaif has been revoked and a new trial granted in which she will have the opportunity to prove her innocence as established by the criminal code of Yemen.”
Amina had been sentenced to death for having participated in the murder of her husband, Hezn Hasam Qabail.
At the time of her arrest in 1998 Amina did not have any documents on her to prove her age, a common occurrence in Yemen.
A government appointed doctor established Amina’s age at the time of the crime as being between 14 and 15. Under Yemen's laws - an awkward combination of Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law and local tribal customary laws - she can be given the death sentence if she was 15 at the time of the murder. However, Yemen has signed the Child Rights Convention, which states that 18 is the legal age for capital punishment.
Amina says she was initially tortured into confessing, but since then has continually maintained her innocence. She also says she was raped while in prison. Her subsequent pregnancy temporarily saved her life, as Yemeni law rules that a mother can't be executed until the child is two.
EU Presidency holders Luxemburg had stepped in to save Amina’s life as well as numerous European parliamentarians and human rights organizations. Amongst these was also Hands Off Cain which in the last few days addressed an appeal to the President of Yemen.