Germans under pressure Sheikh’s sons appeal [Archives:2003/06/Front Page]

Sons of Sheikh Mohammed bin Ali al-Mouyad, a Sana’a mosque preacher who is being held in Germany, have made an appeal to the National Organization for Defending Human Rights (NODHR) to help release their father and his companion, Mohammed Zaed.
The two are being held by German authorities on suspicions of having al-Qaeda links, while the German government is awaiting a formal extradition request from the U.S.
Al-Mouyad is a preacher at Al Ihsan Mosque
Yemeni authorities have also asked that the two men be returned to Yemen.
The appeal has been sent by al-Mouyad’s two sons, Zakaria and Ibraheem.
Al-Mouyad was detained by the German intelligence at Frankfurt airport on Jan. 1.
The NODHR has expressed its sorrow for al-Mouyad’s detainment, for he is known as a moderate religious figure in Yemen.
He is a philanthropist and has showed his love for the needy and poor.
The NODHR has further stated that detaining him longer will hurt Germany’s good reputation in Yemen, will damage its credibility on terror and terrorists and put fear in people travelling to Germany.
The Yemen Times received a faxed letter from the NODHR where it has called for an immediate release of al-Mouyad and his companion, and a request for an apologize from Germany.
The Yemeni government reiterated its demand to hand over the arrested sheikh and his companion to Yemeni authorities according to international law.
At the same time intensified efforts are currently being exerted on the government by many Islah and religious affiliates to pressure the government to bring him back to Yemen.
Several small rallies took place in various areas in Sana’a in support of al-Mouyad.
U.S. officials have said al-Mouyad, a preacher at Al Ihsan Mosque, one of the main mosques in Sanaa, is a significant fund-raiser for al Qaeda but not a financial official for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
But a German court determined last week not to take information submitted by the U.S as evidence that he has a link with al-Qaeda organization.
The German court said it considers the information not convincing evidence to find al-Mouyad guilty, and is asking for stronger evidence.
The court has put 40 days as a legal period to have the final word in the case.
Ahmed al-Mouyad, Sheikh Mohammed’s son, told Reuters in Sanaa previously that his father had left for Frankfurt for medical treatment and denied his father was connected to “any terrorist groups.”
Yemeni officials in Sanaa said both men were members of the religious Islah party. Islah party members denounced their arrest and said they had no connection to al Qaeda.
An extradition request by the United States could cause a legal battle with Germany, as German law does not allow the extradition of suspects if they could face the death penalty in the state to which they are extradited.
It was previously reported that the arrested al-Mouyad told Yemen’s ambassador to Germany – Muhiyyieddin Al-Dhabbi – that he was invited to Germany to receive financial aid, according to weekly 26 September.
“Al-Mouyad said that a Yemeni person, whose name was mentioned, told him that an American Muslim named ‘Saeed was willing to provide him with financial assistance to be spent on charity for Yemen. He said that the person said he would only give the money if al-Mouyad would travel either to Germany or the US for this reason,” said the newspaper.
Hence al-Mouyad said that he traveled to Germany only for this purpose and indeed met with ‘Saeed’, who gave him a check notebook two days before his arrest and told him that he can withdraw any amount he needs on a monthly basis. He also noted that the Yemeni person had disappeared following that,” added the newspaper.

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