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July 13, 2006
Yemen: Islamists' Acquittal Invokes Legal Challenge
News from Arab News states that on Saturday, 19 Islamists, accused of plotting to attack Americans, were acquitted by a court in Yemen. Their trial had started on February 22, but following the acquittals, an appeal has been launched. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry has become involved in the affair. Five of those acquitted are Saudi nationals.
All suspects had pleaded not guilty to charges that they had formed an armed group and had planned to bomb US citizens in Yemen or places where they visited. The plots had been made following an order from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, who was killed on June 8.
They had been acquitted for "lack of evidence".
The five Saudis, aged 19 to 30 admitted in the court that they had come to Yemen with the intention of preparing to go to Iraq to fight as insurgents. Upon their arrival in the country in January 2005, they had been arrested.
Six defendants in the case had admitted to fighting coalition forces in Iraq.
The appeals hearing is headed by three judges, who allowed the prosecution's request for arguments and evidence to be presented again. The chief prosecutor, Saeed Al-Aqil, said the acquittals had "undermined trust in justice". He asked the judge to overturn the acquittals and sentence the 19 men to periods of up to ten years in prison.
Spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, Major General Mansour al-Turki, said his government was working with the Yemeni authorities to bring the five Saudi nationals back to court. They have not arrived in Saudi Arabia. He said that the manner in which his government would deal with the case would depend upon the cases and evidence provided.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 13, 2006 8:07 AM
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