Parliament overwhelmingly approved to withdraw the immunity of MP Yahya Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, brother of the rebel leader Hussein Al-Houthi who was killed in 2004 in the battles with the troops.
The move comes in the light of the report of a legal panel that has been entrusted with studying Justice Minister’s request to revoke the immunity.
However, MPs criticized the report when it said that the continuous absence of Al-Houthi, who sought political asylum in Germany in 2005, was among the key reasons for lifting the immunity, saying such reason is not among justifications to lift an MP’s immunity.
It is the third time that Al-Houthi’s immunity is withdrawn.
However, the panel noted in its report that the withdrawal of Al-Houthi’s immunity should be valid for a maximum of three months, for the judiciary to take necessary procedures according to law.
It advised the Attorney General to immediately take legal procedures and notify arliament about the final decision to revoke Al-Houthi’s membership.
During Saturday’s sitting, some MPs accused the government of lack of seriousness to deal with the matter, pointing to the previous attempts to lift Al-Houthi’s parliamentary immunity.
Critics said the government wanted to use the case of lifting the immunity as a card to strike a deal with the Houthi rebels who have been fighting the army since 2004.
Last week, Justice Minister Ghazi Shayef Al-Aghbari put forward a request to Parliament to withdraw Al-Houthi’s immunity, accusing the MP of taking part in forming an armed gang, spying for foreign countries, and inciting armed disobedience, and breaking the law.