Appeals court, death penalty for murderer of Yemeni Jew

The Amran province appeals court sentenced  Abdul Aziz Al-Abdi, who  was charged with killing Jewish Yemeni man Masha al-Nahari, to death. This overturned the preliminary court’s verdict that ordered al-Abdi to pay YR 5 million as blood money to the al-Nahari family.

In an Amran appeals court session held on June 21, headed by Judge Ahmad al-Badani, Mohammed Lutf al-Jindari, and AbdulMalek Sharaf al-Deen refused the preliminary court’s decision that classified al-Abdi as mentally unstable. Previously, the preliminary court had referred him to a  psychiatric clinic, which exempted him from the death penalty.

Al-Abdi’s lawyers said they would take the case to the Supreme Court, the country’s highest judicial body.

Following the death sentence, the suspect commented that it is honorable for him to receive such a sentence and asked to have a copy of the verdict.

Masha al-Nahari, who was a teacher in a Jewish school, was killed  in December of last year by ex-air captain Abdulaziz Yahia al-Abdi in Raydah town in Amran Governorate north of Sana’a.

In a special statement to the Yemen Observer, one of al-Nahari relatives expressed his satisfaction with the ruling. He said that he wanted the sentence to be carried out, adding that they want to be citizens who are not discriminated against on a religious basis. He asked the President to issue orders for protection of the Jewish community, because Yemen is their country and they do not want to leave it. He added that those who left to Israel were scared because grenades were thrown at their houses and they were afraid for their lives and property.

Khaled al-Anesi, lawyer of the al-Nahari family, said the verdict was fair and satisfied the hopes of the victims and renewed their faith in the values of equality and justice of Islam. He said, “the verdict was very courageous, and I believe the three judges were brave to issue such a verdict in a society like Yemen.”

According to al-Anesi, the al-Nahari family said they would not pardon the killer even if they were paid billions and that they wanted justice to be applied to the murderer.

Tribesmen, extremists, and relatives of the suspect surrounded the court’s building after hearing the verdict. The suspect’s relatives also threatened the victim’s relatives and lawyers.

A number of police vehicles escorted the judge’s car from Amran city to Sana’a and escorted al-Nahari’s family to their home in Raydah town.

In a related context, three Jewish Yemeni families are reported to have migrated to Israel through Jordan on Sunday.

17 members of three Jewish Yemeni families left to Israel through Jordan because of what they called increased threats against them. The 17 people included 2 members of the al-Nahari family, 9 members of the Haron Emran family, and 5 members of the al-Jaradi family.
 

Yahia Abdurrahman al-Jaradi, a Jew who returned from America, said that the Jews in Raydah suffer from harassment by some tribesmen there, mentioning the incident of al-Nahari’s killing as an example. He said that he came back from United States after an absence of six years. He said that he brought three cars with him, but unfortunately the window panes of one of these cars was smashed by stones which were thrown at them inside his house’s courtyard.
 

In response to a question about the Jews who left for Israel, he said that they are seventeen people who felt harassed and left with their families out of fear for their lives.
 

 The Yemeni Jew, Yahia al-Jaradi, concluded by asking the Yemeni authorities to intervene with the American authorities who are holding his six children, in order to allow them to return to Yemen. He said that they are three girls and three boys who are between 9-16 years of age, adding that he trained to be a car mechanic while he was in America, as well as to be a Jewish religious teacher.

Related Content

•   Saleh back to Yemen soon to observe elections, media advisor concerns over opposition stance
•  Leader, Yemen opposition involved in March 18 shooting incident
•  Yemen conducts non-competitive but necessary and historic elections
•   Leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen kisses and bids final farewell to slain mid-level leader
•   Yemen’s JMP leader attacks Islamist Party overall conduct
•   Seven al-Qaeda fighters killed in South Yemen
•  Yemenis determined on elections as the only way for power transfer
•   US drone and missile attacks killed 10 al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen, top leader survived
•   Yemen determines on elections as the only way for power transfer
•   Yemen President clears airs with his own tribe before flying to US for treatment