A trial has begun in Yemen over an alleged espionage network

A judicial proceeding has begun in Yemen against a group of defendants accused of participating in the activities of an alleged espionage network. The session of the Specialized Criminal Court was held on Saturday. During the hearings, the defendants received an official indictment and were informed of the list of presented episodes. According to the prosecutor’s office, the network could have operated for a long time and cooperated with foreign structures, using humanitarian and social projects as cover.

According to the charge materials, the group’s activities covered the collection of military, political, economic and social information. Among the incriminated episodes are attempts to obtain information about government bodies, infrastructure and the decision-making process. The investigation claims that the defendants’ actions were systematic and involved coordination with foreign structures.

In addition, the indictment contains allegations of possible recruitment of officials and attempts to transfer proposals that could affect the security and independence of Yemen. The prosecutor’s office stated that such activity could have affected the country’s defense capability and internal stability amid the ongoing conflict.

The defense rejected the accusations and petitioned for the provision of additional case materials for analysis. The court granted the request and announced a break to study the documents, after which the hearing will continue at the next session. According to the court, further procedures will be determined taking into account the volume of submitted evidence.

The process is taking place amid reports of previous cases related to espionage accusations. Last month, a court in Yemen issued decisions regarding a group of defendants who received penalties following the proceedings. Some of the defendants received long prison terms, and in one case the defendant was acquitted.

Earlier, competent Yemeni authorities reported that they were conducting investigations into structures that could have collected information on key facilities related to security. It was indicated that individual episodes included studying infrastructure, weapons production and the locations of military facilities.

The investigation is taking place against the background of a broader regional situation and ongoing conflict. According to Yemeni authorities, the country has strengthened its security efforts following incidents involving airstrikes by several states. The authorities state that they intend to continue procedural actions and further investigations, including assessing the activities of autonomous cells that could have interacted with foreign structures.