Saudis charge 330 in massive trial against al Qaeda

Arab News:

Saudi Arabia’s specialized criminal court has convicted 330 Al-Qaeda militants for their involvement in terrorist operations throughout the country; the militants were involved in 179 cases. The court also acquitted some of the accused of the charges against them.

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Speaking to Saudi Arabian TV’s Channel One, Al-Saadan said the preliminary verdicts issued by the court ranged from jail sentences for different terms to capital punishment.

“The sentences also include financial punishment, a ban on traveling abroad and house arrest in a city selected by the criminal. Some sentences specify the time for implementing them,” he explained.

The spokesman said the convicts could appeal against the sentences as in other court cases. “The accused will have the right to defend himself by appointing a lawyer,” he said, adding that the special criminal court had informed the militants about this facility before the trials began.

“Arrangements are being made to help the media follow and cover the trials,” he said. According to a previous official statement, as many as 991 terror suspects were facing trial.

A spokesman for the Commission for Investigation and Public Prosecution said the charges against the militants who were involved in a series of terrorist attacks throughout the Kingdom beginning in 2003 included affiliation to Al-Qaeda’s terrorist network, participation in its activities and contacts with foreign parties attempting to undermine the country’s security. Other charges included supporting and financing terrorism, rebelling against the ruler and going to regions of tension for fighting.

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The interior minister said Saudi security forces were instrumental in preventing 160 terrorist attacks. Several bomb blasts in Riyadh targeted vital government offices such as the Traffic Department building, the Ministry of Interior building and the headquarters of the special forces.

The quantity of weapons and explosives seized from militants exceeded three tons of RDX, C-4 and TNT as well as over 25 tons of highly explosive mixtures. About half a ton of explosive mixtures was used in the Al-Mahayya Compound blast in Riyadh in 2003.

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The story is somewhat confusing, because it suggest there has already been a trial but elsewhere makes it sound like a grand jury indictment where the accused will have the right to trial. The BBC reports that a Saudi court has issued verdicts in the case. It is hard to imagine how a trial of this many could be managed. The cases do suggest the Saudis are serious about dealing with the al Qaeda operations in the kingdom.