SANAA, Yemen, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Hundreds of Yemenis were at Sanaa International Airport Tuesday to greet Sheik Mohammed Hassan al-Moyad and his aide, recently released from a U.S. prison.
The two were ordered released Friday after pleading guilty to several terror-related charges and sentenced to time served since their arrest in Germany and extradition to the United States in 2003, the Yemeni news agency SABA reported.
Members of the Yemeni Cabinet, clerics, lawmakers and others were among those greeting Moyad and aide Mohammed Zayed, the news agency reported.
Besides ordering the release of Moyad and Zayed, a New York judge ordered they be returned to their homeland after the two pleaded guilty to charges that included providing financial assistance to Hamas.
After their arrest and extradition, Moyad and Zayed faced terror-related charges, including providing material support for organizations designated by the United States as terrorist groups. In 2005, Moyad was sentenced to 75 years in prison and Zayed was sentenced to 45 years in prison. In October 2008, their convictions were overturned.
