Throngs greet Yemeni cleric released from US jail

Aug 11, 2009, 12:06 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - Thousands of people gathered in the streets of Sana'a Tuesday to welcome a prominent cleric and his aide on their return from six years of imprisonment in the United States over terrorism charges.

Sheikh Muhammad al-Moayyad and his assistant Muhammad Zayed returned home after a US federal court overturned their terrorism conviction and sentenced them to time served over the charge of providing aid to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The cleric and his aide were arrested in Germany in 2003 and extradited to the United States. A US court sentenced al-Moayyad in 2005 to 75 years in prison and Zayed to 45 years over alleged financial support to al-Qaeda and Hamas.

A US Court of Appeals overturned the convictions last October and ordered a retrial because of inflammatory testimony about unrelated terrorism cases in the first trial.

Ministers of foreign affairs, human rights and endowments, political leaders and other dignitaries greeted the pair at the VIP lounge of Sana'a International Airport.

They received the welcome of President Ali Abdullah Saleh at the Presidential Palace following their arrival in the city, the official Saba news agency reported.

The ailing 61-year-old cleric and his aide were greeted by a roaring ovation from crowds so huge that his motorcade was barely able to make its way from the airport to the city.

The motorcade was brought to a virtual standstill several times by screaming crowds.

Sources close to the family of al-Moayyad told the German Press Agency dpa that the pair were released after their lawyer struck a plea bargain deal with US prosecutors.

Under the deal, the two men pleaded guilty to providing aid to Hamas, which is listed among terrorist groups by US government.