Yemeni court upholds kidnappers' prison term

Sana'a: The Yemen appeal State Security Court yesterday upheld a jail term against two Yemenis convicted of kidnapping French tourists south-east of the country two years ago.

Chaired by Judge Mohammad Al Hakimi, the court upheld the primary 12-year term sentence given to Rajeh Mohammad Ahmad Hadi ,23, and Ahmad Haidrah Salfoh, 22, for kidnapping the tourists.

The defendants said in the courtroom on Saturday the verdict was unjust and pleaded not guilty.

On November 18 2006, the prosecutor accused Hadi and Salfoh of kidnapping four French tourists and resisting security officers.

The French tourists and their translator were released after about two weeks in the hands of the kidnappers who were demanding that the government release relatives jailed over tribal revenge incidents.