SANAA, Yemen, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Yemeni clerics, after military forces fired on demonstrators in the south of the country, said Monday that violence against protesters was a crime.
Yemeni protesters continued demands for government reform despite promises by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to not seek re-election. He said he wouldn't run for another term in 2013, ending more than 35 years in power.
At least one person was killed Monday when government forces fired on protesters, bringing the death toll to more than 12 since last week. Saleh, however, said the only way he would leave office is "through the ballot box," al-Jazeera reports.
Apart from the political unrest, Saleh is facing a simmering threat from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and a violent secessionist movement in the south of the country.
Yemen clerics issued statements Monday saying violence against protesters was a crime and EU leaders said authorities should "avoid any escalation" in the country.
Human Rights Watch said attacks on protesters should end immediately, adding it was calling for an independent investigation into the latest violence.
"The authorities should immediately rein in the security forces and disarm pro-government provocateurs," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.
