Olympic cyclist Emma Pooley launches a campaign to Save a Yemeni lady from death penalty

By Fares Anam Olympic cyclist Emma Pooley launched a campaign to save Yemeni lady Fatima Hussein al-Badi who was sentenced to death after allegedly murdering her husband, Hamoud Ali al-Jalal in 2001. Amnesty International Organization aired a video clip of the English champion appealing to stop the death sentence of al-Badi, and requesting from everyone to send a message to Vice President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi on behalf of AIO urging him to save Fatima’s life. “Over the past fifty years, these messages have proven to have a significant impact on presidents and officials as they know that the World is watching them, making it more difficult for them to go through with the sentence,” Pooley said in her video message. “Can you take a few minutes of your time to write a message that could save the life of Fatima?” she asked. “In the past fifty years, Amnesty International supporters wrote messages like this. We know that writing letters is having a result. Together we will be more powerful.” Amnesty says that Fatima Badi who was convicted of murder in 2001, faces the death penalty despite a court ruling in 2003 that stated she did not participate in the killing of her husband. “Fatima was arrested with her brother for the murder of her husband al-Jalal in July 13, 2000. During the interrogations, she was threatened of rape in the presence of her brother, who confessed tothe murder in order to save his sister,” said Amnesty. In her letter to VP Hadi, Pooley wrote, “during Fatima’s interrogation by the police, she was threatened of rape and denied access to a lawyer. In a number of her trial hearings she had no legal representation and was prevented from speaking in court.” Fatima was reportedly questioned by the police for more than five hours during the night, without a lawyer. “Abdullah apparently only confessed to the murder in order to save Fatima from being raped,” said Amnesty. In February 2001, the Court of First Instance sentenced Fatima and her brother to death, and the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence in August 2002. In September 2003, the Supreme Court found that Fatima Hussein Badi did not participate in the killing of her husband, but participated in concealing his body, and her sentence was to four years’ imprisonment. However, the verdict for the death penalty was later on approved again and ratified by President Ali Abdullah Saleh. In May 2005, her brother was executed. “I therefore urge you to commute Fatima Hussein Badi’s death sentence, as she was convicted following an unfair trial,” Pooley addressed VP Hadi. “I call on you to ensure that Yemen works towards the abolition of the death penalty, and ask that all defendants in Yemen be tried in accordance with international standards for fair trial, including ensuring that all defendants have access to legal representation and adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense.” Emma Jane Pooley (born 3 October 1982) is an English professional cyclist and Olympic silver medalist (2010-2011). Pooley was the 2010 World Time Trial Champion and is a former British Road Race and Time Trial Champion.