Specialized Criminal Court reviews evidence in cases of espionage cells within enemy intelligence spy network

The Specialized Criminal Court in the Capital Secretariat held two sessions today to consider cases concerning espionage cells that collaborated with the aggressor states, part of a spy network belonging to a joint operations room run by the U.S. CIA, the Israeli Mossad and Saudi intelligence, based in Saudi Arabia.

In the first session, chaired by Chief Judge Yahya Al-Mansour and attended by the Head of Prosecution Judge Abdullah Zahra, Deputy Prosecutor Judge Sarim Al-Din Mufaddal, and Prosecutor Judge Khalid Omar, and in the second session chaired by Judge Rabi’ Al-Zubair with Prosecutor Nasser Al-Qasimi present, the courts reviewed the lists of prosecution evidence in these cases.

The evidence lists include detailed confessions by the defendants for the crimes they committed, items seized in their possession such as secret communication devices and means of transport, lists of foreign-currency payments and gold bars received, the content of correspondence exchanged between them and agents and officers of Saudi and foreign intelligence services, and the locations and sites that were targeted by the enemy after being surveyed and their coordinates relayed by the defendants.

The court heard defenses from some of the accused and the prosecution’s responses, as well as responses and motions from their lawyers concerning the evidence, and requests to inspect case files and submit further defenses at upcoming sessions.

The Public Prosecution requested that the harshest penalty — death — be applied to 21 defendants who comprise nine cells linked to the espionage network run by the enemy’s joint operations room based in Saudi Arabia. The prosecution says the crimes they committed during 2024–2025 resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and serious harm to the Republic of Yemen’s political, economic and military interests.