A Yemeni state security court on Tuesday sentenced a journalist to five years in prison after it convicted him of supporting al-Qaeda and handling its media activities in the country, DPA reported.
Presiding Judge Redhwan al-Namir said Abdul-Elah Haidar Shaia'a, 35, a freelance journalist and analyst with a specialism on Islamist groups, was guilty of committing a "criminal act" and "participating in an armed gang."
He said Shaia'a had recruited foreigners for the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the regional wing of the Islamist group.
The judge acquitted Shaia'a of the charge of disseminating false news and statements.
The court also sentenced a co-defendant, Abdul-Kareem al-Shami, to two years in jail in the same case.
It imposed a two-year travel ban outside the capital city on the two convicts after they sever their terms.
After the verdict was pronounced, Shaya shouted "This is not a verdict, this is a plot."
"The judge accused of participating in an armed gang which is the gang of the National Security (agency) and covering up their criminal acts," he said.
Yemeni journalist gets 5-year jail sentence for al-Qaeda ties
A Yemeni state security court on Tuesday sentenced a journalist to five years in prison after it convicted him of supporting al-Qaeda and handling its media activities in the country.
