One suspect on hunger strikeVerdict on Limburg terrorist suspects on Saturday [Archives:2004/766/Front Page]

archive
August 23 2004

Mohammed Al-Qadhi
The Criminal Court of Sana'a decided on Saturday to pass the verdict against the 15 al-Qaeda suspects next Saturday as final hearings were listened to.
The prosecution accused the suspected terrorists, one still at large, in the first hearing held May 29th with forming an armed gang to carry out criminal acts against the interests of the state. The accusations against them include the attack against the French Oil Tanker in Mukalla in October 2002, carrying out several terrorist attacks in Sana'a, killing one soldier and plotting to blow up five embassies in Sana'a, as well as plotting to kill the former US ambassador to Yemen Edmund Hull.
During the 15th and final hearing session held last Saturday, the lawyers of three suspects as well as the prosecuting attorney presented their final hearings. Prosecutor Saeed al-Akil said that six of the suspects confessed their crimes during investigations with them while 8 others refused to comment on the accusations against them. The prosecution said their accusations were based on clear-cut and concrete evidence presented to court throughout the 15 hearing sessions.
It said that witnesses gave their testimony before the court against the ring leader Fawaz al-Rabee and Hizam Mujali, accused of killing soldier Hammed Khasroof, and that suspect Omar Jarallah admitted driving the car carrying the ton of explosives used in the boat that rammed into the French Tanker Limburg, killing one sailor and causing damage to the body of the ship. Al-Akil also said that the prosecution presented other reports and documents that support their claim. He accused the defendants and their lawyers of trying to cripple the procedures of the tribunal, demanding that the suspects should be convicted and punished and that the seized explosives should be confiscated.
However, advocate Basem al-Juma'ee defending the two brothers Hizam and Aref Mujali refuted the testimony of the witnesses against his clients as “they were full of contradictions.” He asked the court to acquit his clients for there is not enough evidence to convict them, based on the inaccuracy of the evidences of the prosecution. On his part, defense advocate Faiz al-Hajori defending Fawaz al-Wajeh asked for acquitting his client and “compensating him for the damage caused to him due to such intimidation and harassment against him.” He told the judge that the suspects told him that their friend Ibraheem al-Huwaidi had started a hunger strike in protest against the bad treatment they had receive at the intelligence prison.
The decision of court judge to adjourn the session for next Saturday to pass the ruling was not a shock for the defendants who were indifferent to the court procedures from the beginning, as their response (as usual) was chanting anti-US slogans and hailing Osama Bin Laden. Al-Hajori remarked “We trust the independence and fairness of the Yemeni judiciary. However, I am surprised at the short time between the final hearings and the time of the issuance of the verdict.” “It is a violation of the law that some of the suspects were left without advocates to defend them. The court should have halted the tribunal until the defendants named advocates, or even appointed them itself.”, he added.
Advocates appointed by defendants quit the trial twice and even those appointed by the court quit from the tribunal when the court and prosecution refused to give them a copy of the case file.
Some advocates expect a death sentence for defendants Fawaz al-Rabee and Hizam Mujali charged with murdering soldier Hameed Khasroof and a sentence of imprisonment ranging between 5-7 years for the rest of the suspects.

Names of the Suspects on Trial
1-Omar Saeed Hasan Jarallah, alias Ibn Hafidh, 26
2- Fawzi Yahia al-Hababi, alias Abu al-Shaheed, 26, jobless
3-Mohammed Saeed Ali al-Amari, alias Abu Gharib al-Taeezi, 25, jobless
4-Fawzi Gharib alias Abu Musab al-Taeezi, 24, student
5-Yasser Ali Salem (still at large)
6- Fawaz Yahia Hasan al-Rabee
7-Abu Bakr Yahia Hasan al-Rabee, 26
8-Hizam Saleh Ali, alias Mujali
9- Ibraheem Mohammed Abduljabar al-Huwaidi, alias Abu Zaid, 25
10-Mohammed Abdullah Ahamd al-Dailami, 26
11-Saleem Mohammed Ali al-Dailami, 25, teacher
12- Abdulghani Ali Hussein, alias Jaber al-Sanani, jobless
13-Kasem Yahia Mahdi, alias Abu Hurairah al-Sanani
14- Khaled Ahmad al-Jalob, alias Abu Muslim
15- Aref Saleh Ali Mujali
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