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| Tens of thousands of Yemenis demand Saleh trial |
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 SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Tens of thousands of Yemenis held mass rallies in the capital and across the country calling for the prosecution of ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is under pressure to leave the country for allegedly hindering democratic transition.
The Thursday protests came one day after Saleh appeared publicly for the first time in 18 months. He vowed his party would contest presidential and parliamentary elections next year.
Saleh was forced to step down after a yearlong uprising as part of transfer of power agreement that granted him immunity from prosecution.
A leading member of Saleh's National People's Congress party said foreign ambassadors are pressing Saleh to leave politics and the country.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
On February 27, Saleh pleaded for "forgiveness of the past" amid warnings of UN sanctions and calls for prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of protesters during the 2011 revolution.
His speech in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa marked the first anniversary of a transfer of power in 2012 that followed massive protests and sit-ins. With Saleh pictures and flags, tens of thousands of Saleh supporters gathered near the presidential palace, chanting "the people want Ali Abdullah Saleh." Saleh arrived in an entourage similar to the presidential convoy while a top Saleh party politician, Sultan al-Barakani, addressed the crowd by saying, "welcome the brother, the leader."
"We call for reconciliation, shaking hands and forgiveness of the past to build a new Yemen. Forget about the past and look at the future," he told the cheering crowd.
Saleh, who stepped down in 2012 as part of power transfer deal that gave him immunity from prosecution in return, appeared to be attempting to show that he still has the support of the masses, after the United Nations Security Council threatened to impose sanctions on him for allegedly trying to impede the country's democratic transition.
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