Disclosure of use of Israeli weapons by Houthi rebels

The specialized Yemeni penal court heard confessions from six suspects from the first and fourth group of the Bani Hushaish rebels. The suspects’ confessions disclosed that they used Israeli-made weapons for attacking the armed forces, the security forces and for terrorizing the people, while they are often repeating the slogan "Death to Israel." 

At the session presided over by Judge Mohsen Alwan the court heard confessions from the sixth suspect Ahmed Ali al-Muzaiji, the seventh suspect Ali Mujahid Ali al-Samin and the eighth suspect Ali Mohsen Mohammed al-Qahm from the fourth group.  Their confessions Showed that they were affected by Houthi ideas through lectures and pamphlets of the rebels and that they established military positions in highlands of the Bani Hushaish areas.

The confessions also showed that they received directions from the so-called leader of the rebel groups in Bani Hushaish, Abo Abdullah Hussein al-Shami who is appointed by Abdulmalik al-Houthi. They said that the weapons which they possessed included shoulder projectiles, bazookas, and Russian and Israeli machine guns.

When the suspects were asked, they refused cooperation with the court under the pretext that it is illegal and started shouting slogans.

The court also heard confessions from the ninth suspect, Ali Mujahid al-Sharika, the tenth Rasam Mohammed al-Ghrabi, and the eleventh Saleh Mohammed al-Bahr from the first group. The confessions showed that they received directions from the rebel groups’ leader two days before the armed conflicts in Bani Hushaish, ordering them to climb to the Ras al-Jamiama, Qa’al-Atraf and al-Nujod to attack the republican guard.

They confessed that they captured a military patrol vehicle and tried to repaint it black, however a security force recovered the car in a surprise attack.

They continued to say that the war against the state is a fight against America and Israel according to their Houthi leaders. When asked about their claims that were read to them from the records of the investigation, their response was that they reject the trial and the court.

The court decided to postpone until next Monday to enable the prosecution to submit their evidence.

Twenty-five people accused of providing support for a rebel group were first tried in Sana'a on Saturday.

The defendants, aged between 18 and 36, appeared before the court's chief judge, Radhwan al-Namir, in two separate groups.

They were charged with forming an armed gang in Sana'a loyal to leading rebel Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

Prosecutors said the defendants had provided financial and logistic aid to rebels who fought government forces near the Yemeni capital last year in support of Houthies rebellion in the north- western province of Saada.

They were among 190 insurgents captured by security forces during the battles that broke out in Bani-Hushaish, some 30 kilometers north of Sana'a, last May.

Only one of the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The other 24 defendants refused to plea, saying the court had no constitutional mandate.

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