Saleh was buried by Houthis who killed him

Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was shot dead by Houthi rebels last week, was buried by those who killed him despite loyalists demanding that his body be handed over.

A source close to the Saleh family said that the former president was interred in a cemetery in his hometown of Beit Al Ahmar, about 20 kilometres south of Sanaa, yesterday.

The source said that the Houthi rebels buried Saleh in the presence of his son, Madyan, who was detained by the Iran-backed group after sustaining injuries.

“The funeral had a limited number of people and they did not exceed 20,” said the source.

Also yesterday, a picture purportedly showing a note handwritten by Saleh a day before he was killed was making the rounds on social media.

“If you find this paper, know that our nation is valuable and we will never not treasure it,” the note read.

“My wishes are that my children and people do not surrender to these criminal militias and do not hand over Yemen to them.

“I hope you become their nightmare that haunts their sleep. At this time, I don’t see myself except surrounded by many traitors, who have sold Yemen cheaply.

“Greetings to you, to the great people of Yemen, and may we meet in paradise.”

The note reinforces statements made by members of the General People’s Congress that Saleh, president of Yemen from 1990 until 2012, was betrayed by people close to him.