A/HRC/12/50 respected during armed conflicts and the fight against terrorism. It called for enhancing cooperation with civil society and was concerned at Yemen’s refusal to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. 564. Human Rights Watch urged Yemen to implement the accepted recommendations, including in the southern and northern regions. While the Government publicly claimed to listen to southern grievances, its security forces had responded to largely peaceful protests with a crackdown and attacked independent media and outspoken southern academics and students. Yemen should respect recommendations 72 to 76 and commit to implement recommendations made by Norway and the Czech Republic. It was extremely concerned about the grave humanitarian consequences of current fighting in northern Yemen. The Government should facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians, and all parties to the armed conflict should respect the prohibition of targeting civilians. 565. The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues welcomed the support of Yemen for several recommendations relating to counter-terrorism; Yemen should therefore amend its draft anti-terrorism laws. In view of the widespread use of forced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, it expressed concern at Yemen’s reluctance to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. Highly restricted access to prisons was a main concern. Fair trial guarantees were widely disregarded and the functioning of the specialized criminal court was unconstitutional. It noted that freedom of expression and press had been gradually restricted in recent years, with journalists under trial and eight newspapers closed after being accused of working against Yemeni unity. 566. The Arab Network for Environment and Development welcomed Yemen’s acceptance of most recommendations and endorsed recommendations 74 to 76 on freedom of opinion and the press. In implementing these recommendations, Yemen should reform laws in accordance with the principles of good governance and freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. A number of citizens in the south had been killed, oppressed or forcibly made to disappear for having demonstrated peacefully. It endorsed recommendation 13 and stressed the importance of abolishing all unconstitutional exceptional courts. Several laws stipulate death penalty in areas not under sharia law, including freedom of opinion and belief. It reaffirmed the importance of ensuring equality between Jewish Yemeni citizens and others in enjoying all political rights. 4. Concluding remarks of the State under review 567. The delegation hoped that the international community would provide Yemen with every support to reach the required security, democracy and respect for human rights. 568. Responding to some observations by national and international civil society organizations, the delegation noted that their presence and participation as well as that of journalists in the present discussion were proof that Yemen was a truly democratic country. Civil society organizations needed to substantiate their allegations with concrete evidence, since not everything stated was true. It asked the international community whether anyone would accept that rebels have the right to take up arms against the State. The war in Saada had been imposed on Yemen, which found itself under the obligation to defend the Yemeni people living in this province. Yemen had repeatedly called for an end to the hostilities and for dialogue through national mediations and national and regional dialogue. Regretfully, these calls remained unanswered by the rebels, who welcomed the language of weapons. The claims of the Huthis, the objectives of the war and whether the war was motivated by religion or was a quest for power remained unclear to the Government. The delegation believed that elections were the way to reach power, and noted that the recent election of the President had been followed by all international organizations. 148