SANAA - Yemen on Monday sentenced to death an al Qaeda bomb-maker who told the judge the “demise” of the country was in the hands of militants whose southern hideouts are being targeted by air raids. Saleh al-Shawish was arrested in January and prosecutors said he specialised in explosives while training with jihadist militants in Afghanistan.Shawish confessed in court to involvement in al Qaeda, the judge said in his sentencing, including attacks on oil sites, military bases and checkpoints. His indictment said his expertise was building bombs and preparing suicide bombers.
“He belonged to al Qaeda and caused the death of a number of innocent people and damaged Yemen’s ... economic interests,” the judge said. “The punishment for this is the death penalty.”
Shawish, who is from the eastern province of Hadramout, rejected an appeal and told the judge: “God willing, your demise is in our hands, starting in Abyan.”