Yemen’s interim government has approved a draft law of amnesty, which gives President Ali Abdullah Saleh and all his aides immunity from any prosecution, the official Saba news agency reported.
The draft document was submitted to the National Reconciliation Government on Sunday by Vice President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is currently the country's de facto head of state.
“The draft law of amnesty gives President Ali Abdullah Saleh and all those who worked with him during his presidency across all civilian, military and security apparatuses an amnesty shielding them from legal or judicial prosecution,” Saba cited the document.
The draft law must be submitted to parliament for approval and ratification.
Saleh agreed in November to hand over power to his vice president in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and his family as part of a deal with the Yemeni opposition brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The interim government, which took oath in December, will head the country until a new cabinet is formed after the elections slated for February 2012.
Half of the cabinet members represent the opposition, while the other half are supporters of Saleh, whose 33-year rule has been challenged by a nationwide popular uprising since February last year.
