Officials confirmed on Thursday that five Saudi nationals accused of plotting against Yemen with al-Qaeda had been cleared of all terror charges.
The five Saudi nationals were arrested early in June after the police identified them as a security threat with potential links to al-Qaeda. All men have remained in detention while awaiting trial.
Yemen has had the difficult task of identifying all foreign nationals' intentions and monitor their activities while on its national ground as its intelligence services have identified a surge in terror foreign participation. Not content of recruiting local Yemenis to their cause, al-Qaeda leaders have actively sought the help of other Arab nationals in the region, mainly from neighboring Saudi Arabia to biff up its ranks and gain a regional pull.
Having arose Yemen security services' suspicious the five Saudis were apprehended and sent to trial under charges of "plotting in association with an armed group belonging to Al-Qaeda to carry out criminal acts against members of the security forces in Yemen," as per explained by state officials.
Due to a lack of evidence, judge Hilal Mahlaf decided to release all men, except for two, who will serve an 18 months jail sentence for forgery and unlawful entry into Yemen.
While judge Mahlaf stands by his decision, having clearly identified that without proper proof and confirmation he could not in all conscience and legality convict them of such aggravated crimes, Yemenis feel somewhat cheated, convince as they are that the men wannabe-terror Islamists.