After 2 years in prisonIraqis acquitted of terror accusations [Archives:2005/883/Front Page]

Yasser Mohammed Al-Mayyasi
SANA'A – Oct. 3 – The specialized security primary court decided to clear four Iraqis, one of whom was tried in absentia. The Iraqis were accused of planning to detonate bombs at the American and British Embassies in Sana'a. They were also cleared of the accusation of being members of the former Iraqi intelligence.

The defendant's lawyer said that the evidences against the suspects was taken from the political security records and that they were imprisoned for more than two years in security prisons. These are illegal procedures that make the procedures against them void.

The court confirmed that the period which the released suspects had spent in prison was a precautionary measure which prevented a plan for attacking the American and British Embassies. Judge Mohamed Albadani declared in the court's verdict that: “The court accepted the defendant's lawyer plead and the irrelevance of the prosecution's accusations”. The judge also confirmed that the reports that were broadcast by media about the suspects were not true. He described the measures and investigations of Ministry of Interior and Security as necessary for preventing a terrorist action that was targeting the embassies of the USA and Britain.

The trial of three of the suspects started in the beginning of August. They were accused of planning to hit western interests. A forth, named Ali Rashid Aladdin and nick named Abu Fatma, was declared in the gazette as a fugitive. The suspects were caught in late March this year and 5 days later, war broke out in Iraq.

The four were accused of participating in forming an armed gang in 2002 that would have destabilized peace and security of the country. They were also accused of planning to attack diplomatic missions, and these attacks might have been carried out, had it not been stopped by security people a day prior to its execution.

Former accusations said that bags containing TNT, detonators, electrical circuits and remote control devices were found. The suspects denied the accusations and said that they had been forced to give false statements. They also denied having worked with Iraqi intelligence, and that the first suspect, Ali Rashid Alsadi, used to pressure them as he was the head of the Iraqi teachers in Yemen. Before they were detained, the suspects used to be seconded teachers in Yemen.

The prosecutor did not comment on the verdict but he said that he will appeal it. The verdict gave the second, third and fourth suspects the right to choose whether or not to live in Yemen. They were also given the right to bring their families from Iraq according to the Yemeni regulations.
——
[archive-e:883-v:14-y:2005-d:2005-10-06-p:front]