The Specialized Penal Court charged on Monday four Yemenis with spying for Iran and securing weapons and money for the Shiite Houthi Group which fought the army for six years in the far north.

The charges came after the court, which handles security and terrorist cases, had heard evidence against the defendants: Muhammar Al-Abdali, Walid Sharaf Al-Din, Abdullah Al-Dailami and Sadiq Al-Sharafi.

The evidence included that the four were working as spies for the Islamic Republic of Iran between 1994-2009 presenting reports on Yemen's military, political and social situations to the Iranian cultural attaché in Sana'a.

The defendants also gave Iran information about Yemen's islands and maritime positions, and received Iranian financial support to implement intellectual and political projects in the country, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors also presented items that had been seized inside the homes of the spies in 2007 including computers, flashes, CDs, weapons and ammunition, stamps, check books, cell phones and Shiite books.

The four contacted Iran through its cultural attaché in Sana'a, Ali Asghar, and received money for the Houthi Group and for private businesses, prosecutors accused.

Furthermore, they traveled to Bani Hushaish district, Sana'a, met with Houthis and prepared lists of imprisoned Houthi families, they added.

The defendants denied the accusations, with some saying the evidence against them including information obtained under torture.

Some of them also denied police had inspected their homes and had found what the court said were items of communication with Iran.

Hearing this, the court ordered to copy the accusations, evidence and interrogation files to enable the lawyers to defend their clients in the next session.