Yemen sentences exiled Shiite political leader to 15 years

A Yemeni security court on Saturday sentenced in absentia Yahya al-Houthi, a political leader of Shiite rebel group, to 15 years in prison for his role in forming a militia to overthrow the current republican system.

Yahya al-Houthi, brother of the rebel group's commander Abdul Malik Badr Eddin al-Houthi, is now based in Germany.

The court considered Yahya al-Houthi as fugitive from justice while the public prosecution has filed a request to the Interpol to arrest Yahya al-Houthi and extradite him to the Yemeni security authorities as soon as possible.

The count of indictment by the court includes that Yahya al- Houthi took part in forming and leading an armed terrorist gang during 2004-2009 to overthrow the current republican system, and to restore by force the royal clerical rule that ended in 1962.

The war between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels dated back to 2004 in northern Yemen. Battles between the two sides have been sporadic, but the conflict has intensified last year.

Yemen also is fighting against al-Qaida and facing growing separatist movement in the south.

Source: Xinhua