Yemen – Appeals Court Sentences Muslim to Death for Killing Jewish Teacher

Amran, Yemen – A Yemeni court of appeals on Sunday sentenced a former air force pilot to death for the murder of a Jewish man, court sources said.

The court in the north-western province of Amran convicted Abdul- Aziz al-Abdi, a 40-year-old retired Yemeni Air Force pilot, of premeditated murder.

Al-Abdi has confessed to shooting dead Moshe al-Nahari, a member of the Jewish minority in the north-western town of Raida last December.

In March, a first instance court in Amran convicted al-Abdi of the murder, but said he was “mentally unstable” when he committed the crime. The court also ordered him to pay 27,000-dollars in so-called blood money.

The crime triggered anger among members of Yemen’s Jewish community, estimated at around 400 people.
Representing the victim’s family, Khaled al-Anesi called the verdict “a scandal”.

Masha al-Nahari, the father of nine, was shot dead after al-Abdi called on him to convert to Islam, indicating the murder was a premeditated act. The assailant confessed to the murder and that a month prior to the shooting, he warned Raida’s Jewish community to convert or leave Yemen. Otherwise they would face death, Al-Abdi threatened.

Masha al-Nahari was a 35-year-old teacher and religious leader in the Jewish community of Raida in Amran. He was murdered on Dec. 11, 2008 in a market in the city of Raida- Sna’a in broad day light. Abdul-Aziz Al-Abdi confessed to the murder. Al-Abdi is a retired air force pilot with a master’s degree in electrical aviation machinery.

Today an armed tribal group ranging 20-25 was surrounding the court building after the announcement of the Amran Appellate court’s ruling.

HOOD has received a call from its lawyers, Masha’s defence team before court proceedings, asserting that “they are seized inside the court with some of other journalists and Masha’s family members by an armed tribesmen belong to the convicted al-Abdi.