The 44 individuals were part of a group of 49 detained by the Iran-backed rebels and accused of “collaborating with the enemy,” referring to the Saudi-led coalition that has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, according to lawyer Abdel-Majeed Sabra. Four of the detained individuals received prison sentences, Sabra stated.
Of the 44 sentenced to death, 16 were sentenced in absentia, while 28 were present before the Specialized Criminal Court in the capital, Sanaa.
Among those sentenced to death was Adnan al-Harazi, CEO of Prodigy Systems, a Sanaa-based company that developed systems to help humanitarian groups register and verify the distribution of aid in the war-torn country. The Houthis detained al-Harazi in March last year after attacking his company’s premises with stones. The court ruling also included the seizure of al-Harazi’s properties, Sabra said.
Sabra accused the Houthis of torturing the suspects both physically and psychologically, adding that they were held in solitary confinement for nine months.
