Yemeni journalist put on trial over terror charges

By Nasser Arrabyee/26/10/2010
A Yemeni journalist was put on trial Tuesday for charges of having links with Al Qaeda.
The journalist Abdul Elah Haidar Shaea, who was specialized in Al Qaeda affairs, refused the trial as an unfair and illegal.

In the first hearing, the prosecutor said, that Abdul Elah Haidar Shaea, 34, and Abdul Kareem Dawod Al Shami 28, during the period from 2008 until 16th, August 2010, formed an illegal armed gang and worked for the interest of Al Qaeda.
The first accused, Shaea, recruited a number of mercenaries from outside Yemen and helped them to join Al Qaeda.

The prosecutor also said, that Shaea collected information about the security headquarters and foreign embassies, and provided these information to Al Qaeda with the aim of targeting them.
Shaea also, prosecutor said, published untrue news stories and statements in the media with the aim of promoting Al Qaeda and achieving their goals and damaging security and stability of the nation and its public interests.

The prosecutor said, that Shaea was working as a media advisor for Yemeni-American extremist cleric Anwar Al Awlaki, and that he had meetings with the leaders of Al Qaeda , Nasser AlWahaishy, Saeed Al Shihri, Qasem Al Raimi, and he urged them to strike strategic goals and Yemeni and foreign interests.

The journalist Abdul Elah Haidar Shaea, who is specialized in Al Qaeda affairs, and his friend Abdul Kareem Al Shami, refused the trial as unfair and illegal.

“ I was disappeared for 35 days, and then, I was kept in prison for 30 days more at your orders, judge, now the 30 days are over, I request immediate release, and demand you, to order the arrest of the intelligence officers who kidnapped me ,” Said the journalist Shaea from behind the bars inside the State Security Court in Sana’a.

Shaea appeared in good health and high morale as was waving with his hands to tens of journalists and friends who attended the first hearing.

The journalist Shaea was arrested on August 16th, 2010 from his house in the Yemeni capital Sana’a by the Yemeni intelligence. Without any kind of access to family or lawyers, he was kept in the intelligence prisons until he was referred to the prosecution on September 22nd, 2010 when the court agreed a request from the prosecution for keeping him in prison 30 days more for completing investigations.

In the first hearing on Tuesday, the Judge, Redhwan Al Namer asked Shaea to authorize a lawyer to represent him and adjourned the trial to November 2nd.

The journalist Shaea became famous after he made an exclusive interview with the top leader of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Nasser Al Wahaishy, Abu Baseer, on January 2009. And on November of the same year, he made an interview with the Yemeni-American extremist cleric, Anwar Al Awlaki, who is now wanted for the CIA dead or alive.