President Commander Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council, Vice President of  the Presidential Leadership Council, met in his office at the council's headquarters today, Wednesday, September 21, judges Yahya Muhammad Al-Shuaibi, head of the Specialized Criminal Court of First Instance – in Aden, and Aref Ahmed Al-Nassi, head of the criminal division of the Court of Appeal -  in Aden.

President Al-Zubaidi heard from Judges Al-Shuaibi and Al-Nassi a detailed explanation of the work progress in the criminal courts of first instance and the appeal, and the cases before them, in addition to a number of issues related to the work of the criminal courts and the judiciary in general.

During the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi was also briefed on the most prominent obstacles to the functioning of the judiciary, foremost of which is the lack of adequate protection for courts and judges, the poor equipment of courtrooms, and ways to solve them.

The meeting has touched on the level of coordination between the security services and the prosecution, with regard to judicial control and the collection of evidence in all cases, foremost of which are drug and terrorism cases, the specialization and tasks of each party in accordance with the law, and the mechanisms that ensure the flow and independence of procedures.

President Al-Zubaidi renewed his support for judges to play their vital and essential role in law enforcement, justice for the oppressed, and deterring criminals, stressing the state's commitment to providing full protection for judges and providing everything that would enable them to perform their national duty in the best conditions.

President Al-Zubaidi stressed the importance of raising the level of coordination between all relevant authorities in the judiciary, starting with the Attorney General, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Ministry of Justice, and the security services, in order to ensure that judicial institutions perform their role efficiently, competently and independently.