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Saudi Arabia sentences Yemeni to death for ‘communicating with Houthis’

August 3, 2018 at 2:00 pm

Houthi militant in Taiz, Yemen on 28 February 2017 [Abdulnasser Alseddik/Anadolu]

A Saudi court yesterday issued a death sentence against a Yemeni national who allegedly “conspiring with Yemen’s Houthis to harm the Kingdom’s security and interests”, Okaz daily newspaper reported.

According to the newspaper, the defendant was accused of “providing the Houthi group with locations of important Saudi military and governmental sites.”

The defendant, the newspaper explained, had sent several messages through social media platforms and the American instant-messaging mobile application WhatsApp to some Houthi leaders and members, including photographs, information and coordinates of government and military sites, facilities and bases.

“The Yemeni national committed the crime in return for money and promises by the Houthis that he would be given a key position within the group,” Okaz noted.

Read: Saudi-led coalition says Houthis behind Thursday’s attack in Hudaydah

Alriyadh newspaper said that the Yemeni man was convicted “of supporting the so-called Houthi rebellion group,” which the Kingdom has classed as a terrorist organisation and “of committing acts of treason against Saudi Arabia, which hosted him and gave him a visitor’s permit.”

Since 26 March 2015, Riyadh has been leading a military coalition to support Yemeni government forces in their fight against the Houthis who had taken control of large swathes of the country including the capital Sanaa.