Court passes death sentence against spies [Archives:2008/1130/Local News]

SANA'A, Feb 17 – The State Security Court, specializing in terrorism cases, sentenced on Saturday two Yemeni nationals to death for being found guilty of spying for Egypt. The court verdict read, “Hamad Ali Al-Dhahouk and Abdulaziz Hassan Al-Hatbani will face execution after being convicted of eavesdropping in favor of foreign states.”

The 50-year-old Hamad Al-Dhahouk, a former Saudi army soldier of Yemeni origin, lost his Saudi citizenship in 1995, while Al-Hatbani, 45, is a member of the Yemeni army. The defendants' defense advocates said they would appeal the verdict.

Both defendants were accused of providing the Egyptian Embassy in Sana'a with information that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were funneling money to a terrorist cell in Yemen in order to carry out offensives against foreign tourists in Egypt, and that the Yemeni government knows about such terrorist plots.

The two men refused the verdict and asked for an appeal. They also denied the charges, saying they were fabricated.

Public Prosecution charged Al-Dhahouk with submitting documents, including false information, to the Egyptian Embassy and asking the embassy to pay him in exchange for the information.

On June 26, 2007, when the trial began, the prosecution accused Al Dhahook and Al Hatbani of contacting a diplomat at the Egyptian embassy in Sana'a on March 7, 2007 and giving him untrue and misleading information. According to the prosecution, the false information may harm Yemen's relations with the Gulf States, particularly as the Yemeni government is stepping up efforts and improving its economy with the intention of joining the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Interior Ministry official Najeeb Al-Salwi stated that the spies' illegal activities to damage the government's reputation may have a negative impact on Yemen's official efforts to integrate into the Gulf cartel.
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