Nine men found guilty of spying in Yemen have been put to death in a brutal public execution in which they were dragged into a square, forced to lie on their fronts and shot in the back.
They were convicted in a 'sham trial' for their alleged involvement in the killing of a senior Houthi official in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition more than three years ago.
Hundreds of people, mostly Houthis and their supporters, attended Saturday's execution in Tahrir Square in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa.
An executioner stands over a man convicted of being involved in the killing of senior Houthi official Saleh al-Samad
Policemen stand around bags containing the bodies of the nine men who were publicly executed on Saturday
They were convicted in a 'sham trial' for their alleged involvement in the killing of a senior Houthi official in an airstrike
The nine defendants line up before the brutal execution in front of hundreds of Houthi supporters
The killings, carried out by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, have sparked international outrage with the EU branding them 'cruel and inhumane'.
The nine were among more than 60 people the Houthis accused of involvement in the targeted killing of Saleh al-Samad in April 2018.
They were charged with spying for the Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging war against the rebels for years in an effort to bring back Yemen's internationally recognised government to power.
Al-Samad, who held the post of president in the administration which runs most of northern Yemen, was killed by a coalition air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast.
A Houthi court found the nine men, including one who was a minor when he was arrested, guilty of spying and sharing sensitive information.
Pro-Houthi soldiers patrol the streets following the executions which have sparked international outrage
An executioner gestures before he shoots a man convicted of involvement in the killing of Saleh al-Samad
The nine were among more than 60 people the Houthis accused of involvement in the targeted killing of Saleh al-Samad (pictured) in April 2018
They were charged with spying for the Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging war against the rebels for years
Yemenis celebrate following the execution of nine men at a public square in the Yemeni capital Sanaa
Pictures and videos of the executions have been widely shared on
