September 26th: Yemen releases 34 al-Qaida accused members
Yemen, Local, 8/29/2003

During the few past days, the Yemeni authorities released 34 detainees accused of being members to al-Qaida organization.

September 26th paper, the mouthpiece of the Yemeni ministry of defense quoted security sources as saying that releasing the detainees came after they had announced in a dialogue with them by "committee of scholars" their redemption and decided to give up violence.

The sources explained that the released persons "committed to be good citizens, who honor laws and regulations and contribute to building the homeland." The sources explained that the dialogue with scholars is still ongoing with other detainees under the charge of belonging to al-Qaida.

Families of more 200 Islamic detainees in Yemen had urged the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a petition to interfere to release them.

A statement issued by the families of the detainees said that "among the detainees persons who have been held for 2 and three years are those who are suffering psychological and psychical diseases because of imprisonment, noting that "there is no accusations or crimes addressed against them."

On the Mid of July, the Yemeni minister of the interior Rashad Muhammad al-Oleimi said that some 200 Islamists detainees were brought before the justice.

In a report he had submitted to the parliament, the minister explained that those persons were detained over being involved in the attack against the American warship USS Cole in October 2000 and the French oil Tanker Limburg in October 2002 and the helicopter of the American oil "Hunt Oil" in November, 2002.

Previous Stories:
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