2 German ex-soldiers convicted over Yemen mercenary plans

BERLIN (AP) — Two former German soldiers have been convicted of trying to form a mercenary group to intervene in Yemen’s civil war. They were found guilty Monday of attempting to form a terrorist organization. The Stuttgart state court said the two men were given suspended sentences of 18 months and 14 months. The court found that the two men decided in April 2021 to set up a paramilitary unit of 100 to 150 people, predominantly current and former German soldiers. It said the defendants were influenced by “ideas colored by Christian fundamentalism” and by the predictions of a Turkish fortune-teller, as well as by a desire to make money.