Yemen: Thousands Demand Retrieval of Stolen Assets Thousands have taken to the streets of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, demanding the recovery of assets they say were stolen under the country's former authoritarian ruler, Ali Abdullah Saleh. 23, 2012 photo, an elderly Yemeni woman, center, walks on a street in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen. The protesters marched to demand return of millions of dollars they allege Saleh and his family stole during his years in power. Saleh, known as a wealthy ruler who led one of the Arab world's poorest countries, stepped down after a yearlong popular uprising which forced him to relinquish power in return for immunity from prosecution. The Friday protests come a week after several nations backing Yemen's political transition pushed for sanctions against Saleh loyalists and other groups for undermining the country's shift to democracy. The non-military sanctions include freezing financial assets or travel ban.