Presiding judge of the Sana Court of Appeals Saeed al-Qataa ordered the immediate release of the 11 defendants, saying the five men convicted of falsifying documents had served enough jail periods in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The defendants, standing behind bars, and their relatives in the courtroom shouted “Allahu-Akbar” (God is Great) as the judge pronounced the verdict. Six of the defendants had been handed over to Yemen by Saudi Arabia.

The men, aged between 24 and 35, had originally been charged with forming an armed group to carry out attacks in Yemen and abroad. Other charges included forging documents, possession of weapons and explosives.

A state security court cleared the 11 suspects of terror charges on March 21. Defence lawyers have argued that the case was based on weak charges.

Prosecutors have told the court the defendants had tried to join militants battling US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the men pleaded not guilty, saying that they were even not acquainted with each other.