Yemeni Politician Pursues Legal Action Against Alleged Mercenary Assassins in U.S. Court
In a legal battle that raises significant questions about international military conduct, Yemeni lawmaker Anssaf Ali Mayo has initiated a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court. The suit claims that former American special forces, while working as mercenaries for the United Arab Emirates, attempted to assassinate him.
The case, filed in California under the Alien Tort Statute, allows foreign nationals to bring lawsuits in U.S. courts for breaches of international law. Mayo, a member of Yemen’s parliament and associated with the Islamist al-Islah party, alleges that these acts were part of a broader assassination scheme orchestrated by the UAE.
This lawsuit not only focuses on the specific attempt on Mayo’s life but also scrutinizes the broader implications of former U.S. military personnel’s actions overseas and the UAE’s involvement in Yemen’s ongoing conflict.
The defendants in this case, including Israeli-Hungarian Abraham Golan and Americans Isaac Gilmore and Dale Comstock, were involved with Spear Operations Group, a U.S.-based private military firm. They face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and attempted extrajudicial killing.
The lawsuit claims that the UAE compensated Spear Operations Group $1.5 million monthly, with additional bonuses for successful assassinations of political adversaries, including Mayo.
Eli Matthews from the Center for Justice & Accountability, representing Mayo, commented, “The individuals that were employed by Spear Operations Group, many of them were former U.S. Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Green Berets, who were highly trained by the U.S. government at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer.”
Mayo’s lawsuit recounts a harrowing night on December 29, 2015, when he narrowly avoided death. An explosive device was detonated at his party’s headquarters in Aden. Mayo recalled leaving his office after being alerted to disturbances nearby, only to hear explosions shortly after reaching his home.
Unbeknownst to Mayo, the explosions were a direct result of a bomb intended for him. Days following the incident, Mayo sought refuge in Saudi Arabia.
Three years later, a BuzzFeed News report unveiled that former U.S. servicemen, acting as mercenaries, were responsible for the attempt on Mayo’s life. Spear’s founder, Golan, acknowledged running a UAE-sanctioned assassination program in Yemen.
In 2024, both Gilmore and Comstock discussed their involvement with the BBC. Gilmore revealed that the UAE provided assassination targets, including Mayo, on cards given to Spear.
Since the attempt on his life, Mayo has lived in exile in Saudi Arabia, separated from his family and constituents. He expressed that the lawsuit seeks justice and aims to deter similar future actions.
“I hope that this will prevent such actions from happening to others in the future,” Mayo stated.
