Sana’a, Nov 23, (dpa/GNA) – A Houthi-controlled court in Yemen, has sentenced 17 people to death after convicting them of spying, a lawyer and media linked to the Iran-aligned militia said late Saturday.
The court in the Houthi-ruled Yemeni capital Sana’a, charged the 17 with spying for the United States, Israel and Britain, lawyer Abdel-Baset Ghazi told dpa.
A woman was given a 10-year jail term while two others were acquitted in the same case, Ghazi, the head of the defence team, added.
An appeal was filed against the rulings that were delivered on Saturday, according to Ghazi.
The defendants had provided the “enemies” with information about locations of the Houthi leaders, and their movements, as well as about the militia’s missile sites, the Houthi-controlled news agency Saba reported.
In a separate case, the Houthis have referred to prosecution several local aid workers earlier, detained by the group for alleged spying.
“They are banned from communicating with their families until the end of investigation, but are allowed to hire lawyers,” Ghazi said.
The rebel militia has been targeting UN and international aid agencies since August. They raided their offices in Sana’a and arrested several employees.
The group’s leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, had previously accused UN organizations of involvement in “espionage and aggressive” activities.
The Houthi crackdown came after an Israeli attack in late August in Sana’a, killed the group’s then prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with nine ministers.
After the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023, the Houthis began attacking Israel with missiles and drones. The militia framed the attacks as support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis control large areas in the north of war-wracked Yemen, including Sana’a.
GNA