Jews protest at execution delay

SANA'A // A handful of Yemeni Jews yesterday staged a protest outside the justice ministry over a delay in the execution of a Muslim man convicted of murdering a Jewish man in northern Amran province. Moshe Yaish al Nahari, a Hebrew teacher and father of nine, was killed in a Rydah market in December 2008. Abdulaziz al Abdi, 40, a former military pilot, admitted in court to killing al Nahari after his warning that Jews should convert to Islam or leave the area.

Al Abdi, whose family claims he suffers from mental disorders, was sentenced to death in June last year by an appeals court. The verdict was appealed by al Abdi's family to the country's Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled on the case. The primary court verdict had ordered in March last year that al Abdi pay the victim's family US$27,500 (Dh100,925) in blood money. The appeals court in June overturned the primary court verdict and sentenced al Abdi to death.

"I am here to demand the justice authorities to speed up and execute the death sentence. We want nothing except the fulfilment of the law of God," said Yaish bin Yahia al Nahari, the victim's father. [e-mail]