New Yemen proposal for release of al-Moayad, assistant in US

SANA'A, Nov. 09 (Saba) - Yemen has offered a new proposal to the US to release two nationals detained in a prison in the Colorado state over terrorist financing charges, the state-run 26sep.net has reported.

The new proposal calls for handing over sheikh Muhammad al-Moayad and his companion
Ali Zayed to the Yemeni authorities and that they could be re-jailed if and
according to a true judgment are convicted.

At the meeting that gathered the Yemeni ambassador to Washington Abdul Wahab
al-Hajri and the US Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, al-Hajri renewed Yemen's
call for releasing its nationals who the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
early last month reversed the convictions against them.

Al-Hajri also asked the US authorities to provide full health care for sheikh
Muhammad al-Moyad, 60.

Mukasey promised the US Department of Justice will look into the Yemeni proposal,
adding a study is currently being conducted on the case and that the US government
will abide by the department decisions.

He said the US authorities may transfer al-Moyad to the Brooklyn prison.

Early last month, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the
convictions against Muhammad Ali Hassan al-Moayad and assistant, Ali Zayed for
evidentiary errors.

In March 2005, the two were convicted on charges related to leading terror-funding
network. But they pleaded not guilty.

Al-Moayad and Zayed were arrested in 2003 in Germany and extradited to the US.

Yemen has made great efforts for their release, and currently is concentrating
effort to free them.