A Houthi-Controlled Court in Sana’a Has Ruled to Execute 17 Individuals Accused Of “Espionage”
Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
The Houthi group in Sana’a today issued a verdict sentencing 17 detainees to death by firing squad in a public square, following trials that lasted two weeks and charges of “espionage” being brought against them.
The specialized criminal court, controlled by the Houthis, announced death sentences for 17 detainees after it stated it had convicted them on charges of espionage with what it considered the British, American, and Zionist enemy entities. The court also sentenced two individuals to prison terms ranging from ten to three years and acquitted two others.
The trials proceeded at a record pace, taking less than two weeks. The first trial session was announced on November 9, with five sessions held between the 9th and 22nd of this month.
The names of those sentenced to death are: (Emad Shaye’ Azzidin, Ali Muthanna Nasser, Abdulrahman Adel Thamran, Dhaifallah Saleh, Ali Ahmed Ahmed, Farouq Ali Hizam, Bashir Ali Mahdi Sayfan, Khaled Qassim Al-Saeedi, Nasser Ali Al-Sheiba (fugitive from justice), Anas Ahmed Salman, Mujahid Mohammed Ali Rajeh, Ali Ali Ahmed, Hamoud Hassan Hamoud, Majdi Mohammed Hassan, Nayef Yassin Abdullah, Bassem Hussein Saleh, Sinan Abdulaziz Ali Saleh).
The Houthi group had previously claimed that the abductees represented a “multi-faceted espionage network managed from Saudi territory” and broadcast what it described as their “confessions.” In these, they allegedly admitted to gathering information, monitoring Houthi civilian and military leaders and their locations, and attempting to uncover military arsenals, manufacturing sites, and missile and drone launch sites.
Human rights advocates have demanded the cancellation of these sentences, emphasizing that they are “discretionary punishments not related to prescribed fixed punishments or retribution.” These verdicts come after widespread abduction campaigns launched by the militia targeted international organization employees and civilians in provinces under its control.
It is worth noting that in September 2021, the Houthis executed nine civilians by firing squad in a public square in Sana’a on charges of involvement in the assassination of Saleh Al-Samad, the head of the so-called “Supreme Political Council” for the Houthis, in Hudaidah in 2018. Human rights organizations and lawyers confirmed that the judicial procedures lacked the minimum standards for a fair trial and that the abductees included a minor who was detained when he was not over eighteen years old.
Human rights organizations have also documented that the Houthis have issued approximately 200 death sentences against political opponents, including 35 parliamentarians.
