Gulf | Yemen
Yemen demands release of jailed citizens from US
The Yemeni government on Saturday demanded an immediate release of two Yemenis jailed in the US for terror charges after a higher court dropped their convictions.
- By Nasser Arrabyee, Correspondent
- Published: 23:25 October 5, 2008
Sana'a: The Yemeni government on Saturday demanded an immediate release of two Yemenis jailed in the US for terror charges after a higher court dropped their convictions.
The New York appeals court last Thursday overturned terrorism convictions for Yemeni cleric, Shaikh Mohammad Ali Al Moayad, and his personal assistant, Mohammad Mohsin Zayed, saying they did not receive a fair trial.
The two men should be released after 14 days from the issuance of this verdict unless the American government asked for new trials.
Trial
Al Moayad, 65, and Zayed 39, were sentenced in 2005 to 75 and 45 years in prison, respectively, after being convicted of conspiring to provide material support and resources to Al Qaida and Hamas. They were also fined $1.125 million (Dh4.13 million) and $75,000 respectively.
The Yemeni Foreign Minister, Abu Bakr Al Querbi, said the verdict confirmed the Yemeni view that procedures of arresting and trials of the two men contradicted the international rules and legislation.
"The primary trial in New York was more of political dimensions than legal dimensions to achieve justice," the minister told the official news agency Saba.
Al Querbi demanded an immediate release of the two men saying his government will keep following up with the American authorities for releasing them and returning them to Yemen.
Al Moayad and Zayed were lured by FBI agents into travelling to Germany where they were arrested in 2003 and were extradited to the US.
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