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Yemen court sentences Houthi leader, 173 others to death

August 27, 2021 at 11:37 am

A Yemeni holds up a picture of the Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi during a rally held to mark the third anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition war on Yemen on March 26, 2018 in Sana’a, Yemen. [Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images]

Yemen’s military court sentenced Houthi commander Abdulmalik Al-Houthi and 173 others to death by firing squad, state news agency Saba News reported.

The accused were found guilty of staging a military coup against the regime and committing military offences and war crimes.

The court officially labelled the Houthi group a terrorist organisation, adding that its actions were prohibited, its properties would be confiscated and members disarmed, and all its military equipment handed over to the Ministry of Defence.

The court called for Iran to be prosecuted before the International Criminal Justice (ICJ) for its involvement in the militia’s crimes.

READ: Iranian military expert reportedly killed in Yemen’s Marib

In July, a court in Marib held the initial session of the trial of Houthi leaders accused of masterminding the coup against the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in 2015.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when the Iran-aligned Houthis overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict has claimed more than 233,000 lives.