Al Houthi sentenced to 15 years in prison

By Nasser Arrabyee/06/02/2010

The Yemen State Security Court sentenced the political leader of Al Houthi armed rebellion, Yahya Al Houthi, to 15 years in prison on Saturday.

The court's Judge Muhsen Alwan, considered Al Houthi, who is currently living in German, as fugitive from justice and tried him in absentia.

Yahya Al Houthi, brother of the top rebel’s leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi, is accused of forming a militia to overthrow the current republican system and to restore the royal clerical rule by force. Al Houthi also was accused of ordering people in Sa'ada not to pay Zakat for the state.

" Yahya Badr Al Deen Al Houthi participated in forming an armed terrorist gang and led it during 2004-2010 for carrying out sabotage and criminal acts in a number of places in Yemen and the capital Sana'a," said the prosecutor.

"He prepared all means and weapons, ammunitions, explosives, transportation and communication equipments, required for that."

This gang implemented their criminal plan by killing a number of citizens, and soldiers and destructing public and private properties, and they planned for assassinating a number of personalities including the US ambassador," said the prosecutor.
Yemen has requested from the Interpol to arrest Al Houthi and extradite him as soon as possible.