Sanaa court issues rulings in espionage, security cases

SANAA, June 28 (YPA) – The Sanaa-based Specialized Criminal Appeals Division upheld on Sunday prison sentences for two defendants convicted of aiding an enemy and granted dozens of others time to submit appeals in espionage-related cases.

During its session, the court confirmed five-year prison terms for two individuals, while postponing appeals for nine defendants were linked to a series of violent incidents, including killings, attempted assassinations, injuries, and bombings targeting security personnel, civilians, and public facilities in Dhamar province, as well as other attacks attributed to coordinated armed operations, in a case that previously included death sentences for eight defendants and a 15-year sentence for another.

The court also allowed 48 additional defendants in a separate case to file appeals. That case involves accusations of espionage, aiding hostile parties, and involvement in armed operations across several provinces, with earlier rulings including death sentences and long prison terms.

Prosecutors alleged the defendants were involved in espionage activities between 2021 and 2025 in coordination with foreign intelligence officers, including alleged meetings in Cairo and Riyadh.

They were accused of gathering information on political, military, security, and civilian figures in Sana’a, and of receiving training in surveillance techniques, encrypted communications, and the use of tracking devices, cameras, and secure communication tools.

AA