American judge rescues 9 Yemenis from prison
English - Monday 21 October 2019 الساعة 06:05 pm
Detroit men who transferred millions of dollars to Yemen survived a prison sentence thanks to a 95-year-old judge who said "those who have no mercy and no humanity" are opposed to his clemency rule.
According to US media, the nine men, of Yemeni origin, had set up businesses and opened bank accounts to transfer money to the needy in Yemen, their war-torn homeland. But they were charged with crimes for not registering their company as a money transfer company.
The federal judge in Detroit Averne Cohen has so far sentenced six Yemenis to release them and remain under surveillance. Three others are awaiting judgment.
The judge noted that Yemen's financial system is in disarray and that its population is in dire need of assistance because of the civil war.
Prosecutors said they had no evidence that their intentions were to send money to relatives, not to avoid taxes.
