Sanaa court holds hearings on espionage cases linked to foreign intelligence network

SANAA, Nov. 12 (YPA)- The Specialized Criminal Court in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, held two sessions to consider cases of an espionage network accused of collaborating with the intelligence services of the coalition countries.

The network is reportedly based on Saudi territory and operated by a joint operations room involving US Intelligence, the Israeli Mossad, and Saudi Intelligence.

The first session was chaired by Judge Yahya Al-Mansour, with Prosecutor General Abdullah Zahra, Deputy Prosecutor Sarem Al-Din Mufaddal, and Prosecutor Khaled Omar in attendance. The second session was presided over by Judge Rabee Al-Zubair, with Prosecutor Nasser Al-Qasimi present.

During the hearings, the court examined lists of evidence submitted by the prosecution, which included detailed confessions from the defendants, as well as records of seized communication devices, secret transmission equipment, vehicles used in operations, and financial transactions involving foreign currency and gold ingots.

The evidence also reportedly included correspondence between the defendants and Saudi and other foreign intelligence officers, along with details of locations and sites targeted by airstrikes after being surveilled and reported by the accused.

The court heard the defense statements of several defendants and responses from the prosecution. Defense lawyers requested access to full case files and time to present additional arguments in upcoming sessions.

The Public Prosecution called for the maximum penalty—execution—for the 21 defendants accused of forming nine spy cells linked to the foreign intelligence network.

According to the prosecution, the espionage activities, which took place between 2024 and 2025, resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians, extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, and significant harm to Yemen’s political, economic, and military interests.

@E.Y.M