Verdicts against al-Moyad and companion overruled

SANA'A, Oct 03 (Saba) – Executive director of the HOOD organization, a foundation interested in human rights in the country, Khalid al-Anesi said an appeal court in New York had overruled two verdicts against sheikh Muhammad al-Moyad and his companion Muhammad Zayed.

The state-run 26sep.net quoted al-Anesi as saying the two Yemeni detainees in the US
since 2002 will be released within 14 days unless the US asks retrying them.

Al-Anesi also said the organization received a phone call from the two detainees US
lawyer Bob Well and US activist and lawyer Fiena Foster confirming the verdicts
against the two men were annulled.

He added the organization also could get a copy of the court's decision of canceling
the verdicts, adding the copy would be released after translation.

Al-Anesi urged the Yemeni government to take urgent steps to free its two detainees
in the US and close their file forever. In November 2006, the US Brooklyn court
withheld the case of the two without setting a date to rule on it.

Between 2003 and 2005 the court found sheikh Muhammad al-Moyad and Muhammad Zayed
guilty of financing terrorism and sentenced them to 75 and 45 years in prison
respectively. The court also fined each $ 2 million.

Muhammad al-Moyad and his companion Muhammad Zayed were arrested in Germany in 2002
and were extradited to the US.

FR