SANAA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A court run by Yemen's Houthi group in the capital Sanaa on Monday confirmed death penalties for nine Yemenis reportedly convicted of espionage, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
The court upheld the original verdicts against the nine, whom the Houthis accuse of spying for foreign countries, including the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia, the channel reported, adding that eight of them are in custody and one remains at large.
While the court overturned or reduced sentences in a broader espionage case, it left unchanged the death penalties for these nine, according to the report.
The Houthis said in a statement that the convictions are based on activities that "harm national security" and trials follow laws in their controlled areas.
Yet Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani criticized the rulings as "politically motivated" and lacking legal legitimacy, alleging that confessions in similar cases were obtained "under pressure and intimidation."
The Houthis reject those claims, asserting their courts operate independently.
The verdicts come amid heightened tensions in Yemen since late 2023, after the Houthis began targeting Israel and international shipping routes in the Red Sea, saying the actions were in support of Palestinians amid the Gaza war. The attacks triggered repeated airstrikes by the U.S., Britain and Israel across several Houthi-held areas.
Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa in August killed a dozen members of the Houthi-run cabinet, as well as the Houthi military chief of staff, Mohammed Abdulkarim Al-Ghamari.
The group has periodically issued death sentences, particularly for alleged espionage, in areas under its control for over a decade. ■
