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Yemen deports 2 American, 2 British journalists

Government cracking down on dissent in impoverished country

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By AHMED AL-HAJ

updated 3/14/2011 1:42:31 PM ET

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SANAA, Yemen — A British journalist says he and three other foreign reporters have been deported from Yemen after being detained for several hours.

Oliver Holmes said five armed security agents took them into custody Monday morning from the apartment they share in the Yemeni capital. He said one of the security agents told them they had to leave because of the stories they were writing.

The journalists are two Americans and two Britons.

Top stories: Turmoil in the Middle East

The deportations come as Yemen is roiled by unrest. Protesters demanding the ouster of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh have for weeks staged daily demonstrations in Sanaa and elsewhere in the impoverished country.

The government has used violence against the protesters.

On Sunday, security officials said the journalists had been detained for illegally entering the country. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Photos: July

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A man prepares the grave of Hassan al-Hora during his funeral at a cemetery in Sanaa, July 19. Fighting between government forces and opposition supporters erupted in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Monday, killing six people, among them al-Hora, opposition sources said. (Suhaib Salem / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a demonstration to demand the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the southern city of Taiz, July 19. (Khaled Abdullah / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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A girl has ''will not leave'' written on her face during a rally to support Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa July 17. (Suhaib Salem / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Anti-government protestors shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Wednesday, July 13. (Mohammed Hamoud / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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An anti-government protester writes slogans on a wall using his own blood during a rally to demand the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh at Tagheer square in Sanaa on July 13. The words read "In my blood I protect Yemen." (Suhaib Salem / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Girls light candles as they attend a rally to demand the ouster of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the southern city of Taiz July 9. (Khaled Abdullah / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
A Yemeni anti-government protester displays bullets allegedly fired by supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh during a demonstration demanding Saleh’s ousting, in Sana'a, Yemen on July 8. (Yahya Arhab / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sit on stone pillars during a rally in support of President Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen, on July 8. Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh staged rallies around his vacant palace Friday after their leader's first TV appearance since being injured in a blast last month and leaving for treatment in Saudi Arabia. (Mohammed Al-Sayaghi / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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A supporter of Saleh kisses his picture as his supporters celebrate in Sanaa on July 7 after he appeared on television for the first time since he was severely wounded in an assassination attempt. (Mohammed Huwais / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Related video Looking worn, Yemen’s president addresses nation
Saleh delivers a speech from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on July 7, making his first public appearance since he was wounded in an attack on his palace in Sanaa in June. (AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Anti-government protesters join their hands and shout slogans demanding an end to the 32-year regime of President Saleh, in Sanaa on July 6. (EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
A police vehicle is set ablaze during clashes between armed followers of the opposition and police in the southern city of Taiz on July 6. (Khaled Abdullah / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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A relative of victims of recent clashes talks to a member of the United Nations human rights investigation team, left, in Sanaa on July 5. The U.N. team arrived in Yemen last week to assess the situation in the country after months of unrest. (Suhaib Salem / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Women recite prayers during a rally to demand the ouster of President Saleh in the southern city of Taiz on July 1. Tens of thousands of Yemenis turned Friday prayers into rallies for and against Saleh, who is recovering from injuries sustained in an assassination attempt in June. (Khaled Abdullah / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation