Yemeni president pardons al-Houthi followers

The Yemeni President Al Abdullah Saleh on Sunday pardoned all prisoners of the followers of the killed Yemeni clergy Hussein al-Houthi who launched a rebellion against the state in 2004.

Saleh said in a speech, on the occasion of the military coupe which took place in 1962 and converted the country into a republic, that a general pardon was issued for all followers of Hussein al-Houthi and his jailed father over what they had caused of split and the bloodshed.

The Yemeni forces had killed and detained hundreds of al-Houthi supporters who led a group wanted to establish a religious rule and called for fighting the USA and Israel.