Six Yemenis and 2 Saudis On  Trial For Plotting Kidnappings [Archives:2000/09/Local News]

The Court assigned to looking into cases of kidnapping and highway banditry incidents holds today its second session to try eight persons, six Yemenis and two Saudis, accused of leading an organized gang for kidnapping foreigners in Yemen and obtaining money by fraud and forging Yemeni and foreign documents. Among the accused, only 4 Yemenis and one Saudi are to be tried in presence while the other are to stand trial in absentia.
The Court of first instance for examining cases of kidnapping and highway robbery incidents, chaired by Justice Shaif Al-Hammadi and in the presence of defense lawyer Khalid Al-Aanisi held its first sitting on Saturday. The defendants were brought in shackles before the court. The Saudi defendants are Abdul Aziz Mohammed Saleh Ben Atash, 21 and Mustafa Abdul Kadir Abid Al-Zail’ai 26.
The prosecution says that the charges against the Saudi and Yemeni defendants are the forging of official Yemeni and Saudi documents by which the Saudis were able to obtain Yemeni identity cards and passports and licenses to carry weapons. Moreover, the court accused 26-year-old Abdul Rab Al-Dhabi, Yemeni national working in the personal status authority of illegally facilitating issuance of Yemeni identity cards to the Saudis.
The accused had refused to answer the questions directed to them by the Justice, requesting that their defense lawyer should get acquainted with the case. On his part, the defense lawyer asked to move his clients from their solitary confinement and to unchain them.
Attorney Al-Aanisy told Yemen Times that after he had studied the case he found out that it should be referred to a civil court and that its being examined by a court specialized in kidnapping and highway robbery cases was illegal.” Until now I have not received the case file. The court has given me only some papers. Anyhow, the case was entrusted with a court that has nothing to do with the nature if the actual charges.
The prosecution has arrested 3 men from the suspects’ relatives to force them not to follow up the case. It has even prevented any visits to the them. Moreover, the defendants have been in detention for more than a year, and this is an legal action.” he said.
The suspects had been arrested in the border town of Saada, May last year.
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