Prompted by Complexity of Sa’ada Peace Agreement,

The State Specialized Appeal Court resumed its hearings on Sana’a first terrorist cell after a two-month halt. The 36-member cell is accused of endangering society’s safety, planning terrorist attacks on armed forces and security personnel in the capital.

The cell attacks resulted in killing Maj. Ahmed Ismail Al-Moyyad and injuring 17 others in separate incidents. Trial resumption comes after the tensions that accompanied the implementation of Sa’ada ceasefire agreement signed recently in Doha within the frame of Qatari mediation efforts aiming to contain the differences and confrontations between both warring parties.

In the last session presided over by Judge Mohammed Al-Hakimi, Lawyer Nazeeh Al-Emad was appointed to defend nine members who are trialed in absentia and he requested from the court to be given two weeks to look into the case file and present his defense on March 22.

Meanwhile, guarantor Yahya Al-Kibsi who represents his brother Ibrahim requested the court to hold its final proceedings, and the same was done by guarantor Khalid Senan who represents his brother Hamid.

Guarantor Ahmed Al-Mutawkel representing Abdu Al-Alim Al-Mutawkel requested the court to uphold the first-instance ruling which found Hamid to be innocent of accusations imputed to him including distributing brochures belonging to Hussein Al-Houthi and promoting his ideas. He also asked for compensations.

After being convicted of planning and launching the attacks of 2005 in Sana’a, the first-instance court issued rulings on November 22 which dictated sentencing the cell’s leader Ibrahim Sharaf Addin to capital punishment, while the other 28 convicts were sentenced to terms ranging between three to ten years. The rest were found innocent and court ordered their acquittal after the term they already spent in prison.

Doha agreement signed between Houthis and government authorities stipulated releasing all Houthi detainees and halting all trails against Houthi affiliates; however, the complexity of situation in Sa’ada caused authorities to start again the cell’s trials.