Each of the men had their hands tied and were forced to lay down before being shot in the back as hundreds of soldiers and civilians looked on, after a trial which the US has declared a ‘sham’
Image: REUTERS)
Nine men accused of being spies have been publicly executed in Yemen over their alleged involvement in the 2018 killing of Saleh al-Samad, the top civilian leader of the Houthi group.
The group were convicted of their crimes in what the US Embassy called a “sham trial”, before being executed on Saturday.
Each of the men had their hands tied, were forced to lay down, and shot in the back as hundreds of soldiers and civilians looked on.
It is believed one of those who were executed was a minor at the time of Saleh al-Samad’s death.
Saleh al-Samad, who held the post of president in the Houthi-controlled administration which runs most of northern Yemen, was killed in April 2018 by a Saudi-led coalition air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen’s west coast.
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A Houthi court found the nine men, including one who was a minor when he was arrested, guilty of spying and sharing sensitive information with the Saudi-led coalition.
Pictures and videos of the executions have been widely shared on social media, which showed military officers shooting the nine men in the back in Sanaa’s central public square.
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The international community have condemned the killings.
In a statement condemning the executions, an EU spokesperson said there had also been reports of irregularities in the judicial process and allegations of mistreatment.
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It read: “The European Union condemns the execution on 18 September of nine persons, possibly including a minor, by Ansar Allah in Sana’a. There are also reports of irregularities in the judicial process, and allegations of mistreatment.
“The European Union strongly opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.
“It is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity.
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“The European Union continues to work for the universal abolition of the death penalty, in line with the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for 2020-2024.
“We urge all parties to the conflict in Yemen to cooperate with the UN Group of Eminent Experts established by the UN Human Rights Council, and other relevant bodies and ensure due process, accountability and justice for all in Yemen.”
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a similar statement in which he also called for a moratorium on use of the death penalty in Yemen and for a peaceful negotiated settlement of the conflict there.
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A statement released on his behalf said: “The Secretary-General deeply regrets that the Houthi movement (who also call themselves Ansar Allah) yesterday carried out executions of nine individuals, one of whom was reportedly a minor at the time of detention, and strongly condemns these actions, which are a result of judicial proceedings that do not appear to have fulfilled the requirements of fair trial and due process under international law.
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“Stressing that he opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, the Secretary-General reiterates that international law sets stringent conditions for the application of the death penalty, including compliance with fair trial and due process standards as stipulated under international law.
“He urgently calls on all parties and authorities to adopt a moratorium on the carrying out of the death penalty.”
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The U.S. embassy in Yemen condemned what it called “a sham trial following years of torture and abuse” by the Houthis.
Britain said the executions demonstrated “indifference to human dignity & blatant disregard for fair trial & due process”.
The Houthis’ foreign ministry dismissed the criticism as “interference in domestic affairs” and accused the United Nations and the West of turning a blind eye to the “coalition’s crimes”.
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Samad was the most senior official to be killed by the coalition in the years-long war in which the Houthis are fighting forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government based in the southern port city of Aden.
The government is backed by a Saudi-led coalition which has received support from Western powers.
Saudi Arabia and its mostly Gulf Arab allies allege the Houthis are proxies for their arch-rival Iran, something the group and Tehran deny.