The spokesperson for the Arab coalition, General Ahmed Assiri, said that the ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh will be subject to trial on charges of involvement in the Houthi-led coup in Sanaa.

Assiri assured, in an exclusive interview with the Russian news agency Sputnik and Novosti on Thursday, that Saleh is a Yemeni citizen, "who committed criminal acts in Yemen and he is now subject to international sanctions." He added that the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi is responsible for its citizens and, therefore, will hold Saleh accountable for his actions and put him under “trial in accordance with the laws of Yemen."

Furthermore, Assiri asserted that Saleh "belongs to the category of criminals who carried out a coup against the authority" in the state, and pointed out that Saleh ought to cooperate with the legitimate government if he wants to avoid the punishment he deserves according to the law.

Assiri stated that the Arab coalition considers “all the groups that supported the coup as one bloc and led Yemen to the tragedy" that the country is undergoing.

Assiri announced that under the leadership of President Hadi, the Yemeni government now controls more than 85 percent of the Yemeni territories, and stressed that “the Houthis only have influence in Sanaa and some areas of Saada.”

The spokesperson refused to comment on the rumor that Riyadh has been targeted by a ballistic missile launched from Sanaa, saying: "I do not comment on these kind of lies. Whatever is happening in the Saudi Kingdom or in the areas of operations will be announced through an official statement of the alliance. And since we didn’t publish an official statement about the practices of the Houthis, it means that this is a lie, and we do not have time to argue.”

He affirmed: "We are in the realm of facts. We are accustomed to credibility with the Saudi community and with the Arab and international countries. We have nothing to hide. The Saudi Kingdom reported on the 38 ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis. Most of these rockets failed to do any damage and they are only threatening the lives of Yemeni citizens since they didn’t reach the Saudi territory. If anyone can confirm that Riyadh has been hit by a missile, he can go ahead and present a statement.”



Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 14:00 - GMT 11:00