Barran Press
The Attorney General of Yemen, Judge Qaher Mustafa, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, issued international arrest warrants for those accused of kidnapping Brigadier General Ali Al-Jaa'dani. The suspects, who fled the country after the abduction, are now being pursued by Interpol.
The arrest warrants, according to a memo from the Attorney General's office in Aden, seen by Barran Press, were issued at the request of Interpol Yemen. The memo states that the warrants are based on accusations of kidnapping, murder, and participation in armed gangs.
The memo further details that the arrest warrants, along with a summary of the case and relevant legal articles, were sent to Interpol Yemen, with a request to inform the Attorney General of any actions taken.
However, the Yemeni Ministry of Interior, in a statement released on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, denied having issued any international arrest warrants for the seven suspects. The statement, published on the Ministry's official website, claimed that the warrants issued were for domestic arrests within Yemen.
The Ministry, in collaboration with the Attorney General and other relevant authorities, assured the public that they will continue their efforts to track down the suspects and bring them to justice.
The accused individuals are:
Earlier, authorities in Abyan Governorate, in a statement received by Barran Press, had requested the assistance of Interpol to apprehend the suspects. They emphasized that the main perpetrators of the kidnapping had fled the country and that the responsibility for their capture now lies with the Presidential Leadership Council and the Southern Transitional Council.
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Director of Aden Police, Major General Mathar Al-Shaibi, announced the results of the investigation into the kidnapping of Sheikh Ali Abdullah Al-Jaa'dani, who was abducted on June 12, 2024, in Aden.
Al-Shaibi confirmed that arrest warrants had been issued for the main suspects, including Yisran Al-Maqtari, Samer Al-Jandab, Ahmed Zidan, Samih Al-Norghi, Tamam Al-Bata, Bakil Mukhtar, and Mahmoud Al-Hindi.
He further revealed that the Commander of Counterterrorism in Aden, Yisran Al-Maqtari, and his deputy, Samer Al-Jandab, had fled the country two days after the kidnapping, on June 16.
Al-Shaibi stated that the Ministry of Interior had been contacted to request Interpol's assistance in apprehending the fugitives and returning them to Yemen.
The tribes of Abyan Governorate, to which Al-Jaa'dani belongs, have been demanding answers regarding his whereabouts since his disappearance in Aden on June 12. They are urging the authorities in Aden to disclose his fate.
On July 14, 2024, the Attorney General, Judge Qaher Mustafa, issued a decision appointing Judge Azzam Ibrahim Ahmed Abdul-Magni, head of the technical office at the Attorney General's office, to investigate the case of Al-Jaa'dani's disappearance.
The second article of the decision granted the head of the technical office the authority of the Attorney General to review and handle serious crimes related to the case.