34 Islamic fundamentalists freed [Archives:2003/664/Local News]

Sanaa, August 30 – Thirty four detained Islamic fundamentalists who were suspected of having links to al-Qaeda organizations or those who were involved in Jihad in Afghanistan have been freed by the Yemeni security authorities after they supposedly expressed regret for their radical past, said the 26 September weekly, the mouthpiece of the Yemen's Armed Forces.
The source said that the release decision was taken after the detainees had committed themselves to discard extremist ideas and start a new life of tolerance and balanced religious practice.
Negotiations are still underway in order to release the other detainees, who are still being convinced to abandon extremist ideas.
On the other hand, Mohammed Ali al-Zaidi, who is suspected of having links to al-Qaeda organization, has returned from Syria after medication. However, his legs remain paralyzed after he was shot in his spine six months ago.
Sources told the Yemen Times that Abu Asem, a key al-Qaeda mastermind, who is still at large, might have moved from Mareb to Abyan.
The source ruled out the possibility that Abu Asem participated in terrorist acts launched by the Hattat terror group more than a month ago due to his leg disability caused to him in a fight in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Serbs many years ago.
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