Yemen releases two British accused of terrorism
Yemen-UK, Politics, 12/25/2003

Yemen has released two British Muslims who were jailed under accusations pertaining to terrorism after the expiry of their imprisonment period, of five years.

A Yemeni official said that the two men, who are Shahed Baat and Sarmaad Ahmad, were released from a prison to the south of Yemen.

A British diplomat confirmed their release, noting they were due to leave for Britain late yesterday.

In 1999, a Yemeni court convicted the two men in addition to other 6 Britons of Pakistani and Arab origins, of forming an armed group to execute terrorist acts in Yemen.

The 8 British, in addition to two men of Moroccan origin, were detained after kidnapping 16 western tourists in Yemen in 1998, and killing 4 tourists among them in a rescue attempt carried out by the Yemeni army.

Yemen wants from Britain to hand over Abu Hamza al-Masri, father of the British who was released in 2002, to try him on charge of being involved in kidnapping. Abi Hamza al-Masri, a British citizen born in Egypt, presides over Ansar al-Sharia group, which has London as headquarters.

Previous Stories:
  British Embassy in Sanaa blocked   (11/18/2002)
  British security delegation visits Yemen   (7/3/2002)
  British embassy in Yemen attacked   (10/13/2000)

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