Protesters urge UN to bring Saleh to justice

SANAA - Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters marched Monday across Yemen to urge the United Nations Security Council to help bring outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh to justice, witnesses said.

The marches were held simultaneously in the capital Sanaa and some major provincial cities, including the restive southern city of Taiz, said the witnesses.

The protest organizers said in a statement that "the move comes as part of escalation to urge the UN Security Council in its upcoming session on Yemen to adopt a resolution against Saleh's crime against the protests."

The protesters had filed a formal complaint against Saleh to the Security Council and Monday's marches aimed to attract the attention of the international community to meet their demand, they said.

The UN envoy to Yemen Jamal bin Omar, who left the country on Saturday, is scheduled to present his report on Yemen to the Security Council on Monday.

Saleh and the opposition leaders signed a power transfer deal in Saudi Arabia on November 23. The deal was designed to end Yemen's 11-month-long unrest which has left thousands of people dead and brought the impoverished Arab state on the verge of a civil war and economic collapse.

Under the deal, early presidential elections are set to be held on February 21, 2012, while Saleh will retain the title of honorary president for 90 days before his resignation and will enjoy immunity from prosecution afterwards.