Six separatists sentenced to 5-8 years in prison

By Nasser Arrabyee/02/05/2010


Six separatists were sentenced Sunday to jail terms ranging from 5 to 8 years after being convicted of harming the national unity.


The special court of Hudhrmout chaired by Judge Abdu Ali Al Awadi, handed down 8 years in prison to Fawaz Hassan Ba Awm.

Mazen Mohammed Ba Haij, Saleh Obaid Ba Helmous, Ali Obaid Ba Helmous, were sentenced to 5 years in prison each.

Ahmed Balaid Awad Al Saidi, and Saleh Abdul Rehman Juman were sentenced to 8 years each in prison but their verdict was suspended.

They were not put in prison, but the judge said they would be under the police surveillance for two years.

All the six defendants, who are from the far eastern province of Hudhrmout, were convicted of having done sabotage acts with the aim of separating the south from the north of Yemen, which united in 1990.

Meanwhile, a separatist armed group in the south of the country threatened Sunday to kill two soldiers, they kidnapped on Saturday, if the authorities did not release two of their comrades who were previously arrested for murder charges.


Taher Tamah, the leader of the armed group, said the execution of the two soldiers would be legal after the 48-hour ultimatum; he gave to authorities to release his comrades, ended.

Tamah, in the mountains of Yafe'e, Lahj province, is one of the 50 armed separatists whose names were published on Saturday as wanted by security authorities for murders and sabotage acts.