Court officials said the judge heard the charges against the three men - BBC correspondent, Rageh Omaar, producer Robin Barnwell and cameraman Frank Smith.

They were arrested in May after returning from the remote mountainous south-east of Yemen, where they filmed members of a tribe which has recently kidnapped a number of foreigners.

The crew were picked up at a military check-point and taken first to the Ministry of Interior, and then the Attorney General's office. They were later moved to a hotel in the capital San'a.

The BBC said the three were working in Yemen with the appropriate accreditation and were engaged in legitimate journalism. It has urged the authorities to allow them to return to Britain immediately.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Britain would maintain pressure at the highest levels until the journalists were freed.