The Special Criminal Court in the Capital Secretariat convened on Sunday the opening session in the trial of 21 defendants accused of involvement in an espionage network linked to a joint operations room run by U.S., Israeli “Mossad,” and Saudi intelligence services, operating from inside Saudi territory.

During the session, presided over by Judge Yahya Al-Mansour and attended by prosecutors, the court read out the charges and confronted the defendants with the evidence. The indictment includes allegations of collaborating with foreign intelligence services hostile to Yemen, and providing sensitive political, military, and security information, including details on state leaders and their movements.

According to the prosecution, the defendants received encrypted communication tools, training in the use of covert cameras, and support for recruiting additional individuals. They allegedly planted surveillance devices and supplied information that facilitated the targeting of military, security, and civilian sites.

The charges also include destroying evidence related to crimes affecting national security, and supplying foreign intelligence services with data on missile sites, storage locations, launch points, and industrial military facilities, as well as assessments of the internal front—reportedly in exchange for financial payments.

At the conclusion of the session, the court granted the defendants time to present their defense at the next hearing.