Italian tourists’ kidnappers face lengthy jail terms [Archives:2006/933/Front Page]

SANA'A, March 29 ) The State Security Specialized Penal Court issued verdicts under which suspects accused of kidnapping five Italian tourists in Marib in January face prison terms ranging from five to 20 years.

Four suspects received 20 years in jail, beginning from the date of their arrest, for kidnapping the Italian tourists. Suspect No. 5 Mer'e Ali Ahmad Al-Ameri was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while suspect Hadi Mohamed Al-Ameri received a five-year prison term for his involvement in kidnapping the Italians.

After the death sentence, the sentences are the Kidnapping Law's second toughest penalties. The court tossed out all appeals filed by defense lawyers justifying their clients' actions.

The defendants appealed against the verdict after hearing it, describing it as unfair. They asked why the court never has tried the German tourists' kidnappers, as well as complaining about officials who demolished their homes and detained their relatives. The kidnappers' relatives attending the session stated that authorities never seek the reasons behind tourist kidnappings.

Defense lawyers appealed against the verdict, which they said is oppressive and unfair, and accused the court of lacking independence and relying only upon the defendants' words provided by Prosecution.

Security apparatuses arrested the suspects accused of kidnapping the Italian citizens – two men and three women – after the captives were freed. The five were abducted in Mafraq Al-Dhaiq on the Sana'a-Marib highway in January and held captive in Marib's Sirwah district. Marib locals kidnapped the Italian tourists immediately after President Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed to end the kidnapping phenomenon Yemen has experienced for years.
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