Five British men jailed in Yemen for terrorism charges could be sent home under a deal to swap them for a Abu Hamza Al-Masri, said the BBC.online on Monday.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has offered to allow the men, who are serving prison sentences in Yemen, to return to the UK to complete their jail terms, if the cleric is sent there in exchange, said the news service.
The Britons were sentenced two years ago to between three and seven years, for planning bomb attacks on British targets in Aden.
Saleh’s announcement came during a meeting with the British ambassador in Yemen on Sunday, said the BBC, adding that Saleh told the ambassador that the “men could serve the rest of their sentences in Britain.”
But this would only be on the condition that Masri, the cleric who is suspected of ordering the campaign, is extradited.
The British foreign office says it was considering its response to the offer.
Yemen has repeatedly called for the extradition of al-Masri, whose son and stepson were among those convicted – Albawaba.com
