Yemeni Recieves Death Sentence for Purported Email to Olmert
This would be funny except the guy got a death sentence.
Sanaa, 23 March (AKI) – Yemeni Bassal al-Haidari was sentenced to death by the country’s special criminal court in Sanaa on Monday after being found guilty of contacting Israel’s outgoing prime minister Ehud Olmert and offering to collaborate with Israel.
Twenty-six year-old al-Haidari, alias Abu al-Ghaith, was accused of communicating with Israeli intelligence and asking for support to launch terror attacks against foreign embassies and Yemeni government buildings.
“This is unfair, you have sentenced me without any proof of these accusations,” shouted Al-Haidari from the caged dock.
Al-Haidari was charged with corresponding with Olmert via email.
“We are the Organisation of Islamic Jihad and you are Jews, but you are honest, and we are ready to do anything,” said Al-Hardari according to prosecutors quoted by Arab TV network al-Arabiya.
Olmert is then said to have responded to al-Haidari. “We are ready to support you to become an obstacle in the Middle East. We will support you as an agent,” Olmert was quoted as writing.
“The court… sentences the first defendant to death in the case of making illegal contact with the Zionist Jewish Israeli entity,” said judge Hassan Elwan.
Two others were also sentenced in the case. Defendant Emmad al-Rimi, 23, was sentenced to five years in prison and Ali al-Mahfal, 24, to three years in jail.
The three men went on trial in January after being accused of operating under the little-known organisation, Islamic Jihad, and spreading false information about attacks.
The men were arrested in 2008 and convicted of demanding money from the Saudi Arabian embassy and the United Arab Emirates.
Israel has dismissed the allegations that it had any contact with Al-Haidari.
