The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a on Saturday began the first session of the trial for nine defendants belonging to a spy network affiliated with British Intelligence , on charges of collaborating with the enemy.
During the initial hearing, presided over by Judge Hussein Al-Qa’al , the Public Prosecution Office confronted the defendants with the indictment and presented its list of evidence in the case.
The court heard the responses and requests of the accused and decided to proceed with reviewing the list of evidence and enabling the defendants to submit their defenses in the next session.
The Prosecution charged the defendants with communicating and collaborating with Saudi Arabia and Britain between 2023 and 2025.
This collaboration involved meeting with intelligence officers in Riyadh and agreeing to monitor and surveil prominent leaders in Sana’a, as well as collecting information on security buildings, residences, and headquarters.
Details of Espionage Activities
The defendants received field and theoretical training on surveillance methods, encrypted communication, using secret cameras and tracking devices, and were provided with secret applications in addition to vehicles equipped for live broadcasting.
They proceeded to monitor the movements of individuals, plant tracking devices, and penetrate Wi-Fi networks, in exchange for financial sums and gold bars. The objective of these actions was to damage the military, political, and economic center of the Republic of Yemen.
They aided the Saudi and British intelligence services by recruiting others to work for them in collecting intelligence on the locations and profiles of key leadership figures in Sana’a.
In the second session of the trial today, presided over by Judge Abdullah Al-Hamzi, the Public Prosecution Office confronted the defendants with the indictment and presented its list of evidence in the case.
The Court heard the responses and requests of the defendants and their lawyers, and ruled to complete the review of the seized materials related to the case, granting the defendants an opportunity to submit their formal defenses in the next session.
The Prosecution charged the three defendants with communicating and collaborating with Saudi Arabia and Britain between 2021 and 2023.
This collaboration was conducted through intelligence officers they met in Cairo and Riyadh, where they agreed to work on collecting and monitoring information regarding military, security, and civilian sites.
The defendants were reportedly supplied with encrypted communication methods and location identification applications.
They received intensive training on describing individuals, targets, and locations, monitoring security systems, and submitting reports, photos, and coordinates via the “Signal” app.
They also received training on location identification using maps, in exchange for financial payments in Saudi Riyals, all with the intent to harm the military and political stability of the Republic of Yemen.
