TLE DESK: A court controlled by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sentenced 17 people to death on charges of spying for Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia, according to rebel-aligned media reports on Saturday.
The Houthis’ Saba news agency said the court, sitting in the capital Sanaa, found the defendants guilty of involvement in what it described as “espionage cells within a spy network affiliated with American, Israeli and Saudi intelligence services”. All 17 were sentenced to be executed by firing squad.
Lawyer Abdulbasit Ghazi, who represents some of the accused, said on Facebook that the defendants still have the right to appeal.
Accusations of Collusion With Foreign Powers
The charges cover alleged activities between 2024 and 2025 and include “colluding with foreign nations in a state of enmity with Yemen”, naming Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States, as well as spying for their security agencies and for Israel’s Mossad.
The court also accused the group of recruiting Yemenis on behalf of foreign governments and facilitating attacks on military, security and civilian targets — actions which, according to the charges, resulted in the deaths of dozens and caused significant infrastructure damage.
In the same case, a man and a woman were sentenced to 10 years in prison, while one individual was acquitted.
Context: Israeli Strikes and Houthi Crackdown
The verdict comes amid heightened tensions in Yemen, where the Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified a crackdown on individuals suspected of aiding foreign governments.
Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Yemen over the past two years, in response to Houthi attacks against Israel, which the rebels say are acts of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Following these strikes — particularly an August attack that killed Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi — the rebels launched a sweeping campaign of arrests targeting those they accuse of spying for Israel or the United States.
Rights groups have long criticised Houthi-run courts for lack of due process, limited access to legal representation and politically motivated prosecutions. The movement, which controls much of northern Yemen, continues to face international pressure over its use of mass death sentences.
