SANAA, 30 March 2006 — Four Yemenis accused of kidnapping five Italian tourists in a tribal region in the country in January were each sentenced to 20 years in jail yesterday.
The men, from the Al-Zaidi clan, were jailed by a Sanaa court for planning and carrying out the kidnapping. Two others, from the Al-Ameri clan, received five- and 10-year sentences for abetting the crime.
The Italians, three women and two men, were freed after a five-day ordeal in the lawless Maarib region following a standoff between security forces and the kidnappers.
Defense lawyer Mohammed Tuaiman said the ruling was unfair and vowed to press ahead with an appeal.
The heavily guarded courtroom was packed with the defendants’ relatives, most of them in traditional tribal dress.
“Kidnapping is a peaceful way of diffusing the tension between tribesmen and the army,” said the brother of Merai Al-Ameri, who received the 10-year prison term.
The Yemeni penal code stipulates prison terms of between 10 years and 25 years for hostage-takings and the death sentence for those who harm their hostages.
Authorities are anxious to improve Yemen’s tourism image. But tribesmen, who are notoriously unruly, often kidnap foreigners to use as bargaining chips to make financial demands of the government or settle local scores.
