Foreigners are skittish about investing in Yemen because of security problems. In a number of well-publicized cases, disgruntled tribesmen have taken foreign tourists or oil workers as hostages in order to press the government into granting development projects or releasing detained fellow tribesmen. To begin rectifying the problem, the government launched a disarmament campaign in 1999, including legislation that restricts the sale and distribution of guns and places a ban on carrying guns in major cities. The right of citizens to change their government is limited by the concentration of political power in the hands of a few leaders, and particularly the president. The judiciary is not independent.
Judges are susceptible to bribery and government influence, and many are poorly trained.
Judicial independence is further hampered by the government s frequent reluctance to carry out sentences. Saleh s first act in his new presidential term was to resign as head of the Supreme Judicial Council, a move that may improve judicial independence. In October, the government announced its intention to set up special courts to deal with kidnappings and acts of sabotage. Local tribal leaders adjudicate land disputes and criminal cases in areas under their authority. Various branches of the security force carry out arbitrary arrest and detention on political grounds, and often flout due process rights.