Barran Press
Aden's Police Chief, Major General Muthar Al-Shu'aibi, announced the results of the investigation into the kidnapping of Sheikh Ali Abdullah Ashal al-Ja'adani on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Sheikh Ashal was abducted on June 12th in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, which is under the security control of the Southern Transitional Council.
In a televised press briefing, monitored by "Barran Press", Al-Shu'aibi revealed the names of the main suspects in the case, stating that arrest warrants had been issued against them. The suspects are: Yusran Al-Maqtari, Samer Al-Jandab, Ahmed Zidan, Samih Al-Nuraji, Tamam Al-Bata, Bakil Mukhtar, and Mahmoud Al-Hindi.
Al-Shu'aibi stated that Yusran Al-Maqtari, the head of Aden's Counterterrorism Force, and his deputy, Samer Al-Jandab, fled the country two days after the kidnapping of Ali Ashal al-Ja'adani, on June 16th.
Al-Shu'aibi outlined the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping, which were reported to the Kabota Police on the day of the incident. He explained that through investigations and coordination with the Aden Security Belt, the Abyan Security Directorate, and the Counterterrorism Force, a group of suspects were apprehended.
He added that the Aden Security Directorate also apprehended individuals who had provided assistance during the kidnapping.
Regarding the suspects who fled the country, Al-Shu'aibi stated that the Ministry of Interior has been contacted to request Interpol's assistance in apprehending and extraditing them to Yemen.
He further mentioned that the names of the suspects have been circulated to all land, air, and sea ports, as well as all governorates, to apprehend them and hand them over to the official authorities in Aden.
Al-Shu'aibi stated that the Public Prosecutor has been notified about the case and that the investigation committee is continuing to gather evidence, prepare supplementary reports under the guidance of the Public Prosecution, and pursue the apprehension of the fugitives.
He emphasized their commitment to apprehending all suspects and bringing them to justice, ensuring that the fate of the victim, al-Ja'adani, is revealed.
On July 9th, 2024, the Higher Security Committee of the internationally recognized Yemeni government acknowledged the kidnapping of Sheikh and Yemeni Army officer Ali Ashal al-Ja'adani as a crime. The committee circulated the names of four suspects involved in the kidnapping, including Samih Eidrus Al-Nuraji, Tamam Mohammed Ghaleb Hassan "Al-Bata", Bakil Mukhtar Mohammed Saad, and Mahmoud Othman Saeed Al-Hindi, to security and military agencies for their apprehension.
The Higher Security Committee also ordered the suspension of Yusran Al-Maqtari, the commander of the Counterterrorism Forces in Aden, and referred him for investigation. The committee further directed the handover of the suspects to the Aden Security Directorate and the formation of a joint investigation committee comprising representatives from the Aden Security Directorate, Abyan Security Directorate, Criminal Investigation Department, Security Belt, Intelligence, and Counterterrorism Force.
The committee also ordered the apprehension of all suspected individuals involved in crimes and the pursuit of fugitives. It emphasized the involvement of the Public Prosecution in overseeing the investigations and the swift completion of procedures before referring the case to the judicial authorities.
Prior to this, tribes in Abyan governorate, where al-Ja'adani's family originates, had given Aden's security forces a deadline to reveal the fate of their kidnapped relative and apprehend the perpetrators.
On June 28th, Abyan tribes held a consultative meeting in Aden to discuss the disappearance of their relative, Colonel Ali Ashal al-Ja'adani. They threatened to escalate their actions if he was not released unharmed, emphasizing their right to retaliate and the availability of various options.
They called upon the Presidential Leadership Council, the Unity Government, the Southern Transitional Council, and the Arab Coalition leadership to intervene urgently to disclose the location of Colonel Ali Abdullah Ashal al-Ja'adani and secure his release.
The tribes stated that al-Ja'adani was kidnapped in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, on June 12th and his whereabouts remain unknown.
On July 14th, 2024, the Public Prosecutor, Judge Qaher Mustafa, issued a decision appointing Judge Azzam Ibrahim Ahmed Abdul-Magni, Head of the Technical Office at the Public Prosecution Office, to investigate the case of al-Ja'adani's disappearance.
Article 2 of the decision authorized the Head of the Technical Office with the powers of the Public Prosecutor to review and handle serious crimes related to the case.