Posted on 05/15/2005 10:36:37 AM PDT by knighthawk
RIYADH (Reuters) - A Saudi court jailed three prominent reformists on Sunday for up to nine years for trying to sow dissent and challenge the royal family, dealing a blow to tentative reforms in the absolute monarchy.
Judges at the Riyadh court, which was ringed by security forces, issued their verdict after a nine-month trial held mainly behind closed doors despite earlier promises of openness.
The court sentenced academics Ali al-Dumaini to nine years in jail, Abdullah al-Hamed to seven years and Matruk al-Faleh to six years, lawyers said. All three were arrested in March 2004 after petitioning the kingdom's rulers to move towards a constitutional monarchy and speed up political reforms.
Their arrest -- along with nine other men who were later released -- drew rare public criticism from the United States which has pushed for reform in ally Saudi Arabia since the September 11 attacks, which were carried out by mainly Saudi hijackers.
"This is not fair," Faleh's wife Jamila al-Ukla said after the sentences. Her husband supported "the centrality of the royal family, the country and Islam," she said. "(To call for) constitutional monarchy is not a criminal issue."
Lawyer Ali Ghothami said the men would appeal the ruling.
Ghothami said the panel of three judges found that the men had "overstepped the bounds" by talking to foreign media, had ignored national interests, intended to incite people and "gave a chance to the nation's enemies to harm it".
They were also convicted of defaming officials and challenging the independence of the judiciary.
Specifically the judges cited Faleh's criticism of Saudi Arabia's education system, which he blamed for two years of violence by al Qaeda supporters, Ghothami said.
Dumaini had "incited (people) against the Wahhabi school" of Islam in Saudi Arabia, which critics blame for fostering anti-Western sentiment and militancy. Hamed had "challenged the authority of the ruler", according to the court.
SHOCK AT SENTENCES
Relatives and lawyers said they were shocked by the severity of the sentences, but some insisted it was a sign that authorities realised the reformists were a serious force.
"Today marks the legitimate birth of reform," Hamed's brother Eissa said.
Saudi Arabia held partial elections this year to municipal councils -- the first national vote in the country. But women were barred from voting, only half the council seats were open to election, and the powers of the councils themselves will be limited.
In urban centres, candidates backed by powerful and conservative religious scholars swept the board.
Most family members spent Sunday's court hearing on a Riyadh pavement after the session was closed off by the judges and security forces insisted the small group of relatives and supporters stay hundreds of metres (yards) from the court.
Hamed and Faleh had refused to submit a defence in protest that their court sessions had been held mainly behind closed doors, despite promises last year they would be heard in public.
Ping
Not.
More suppression from our Saudi "friends".
bump
More suppression from our Saudi "friends".
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The Saudis have NEVER been our friends. FINO, if I may coin that phrase. They are also an authoritarian (that is being kind) government like the rest of the Arab repressive/oppressive regimes are.
So this is no suprise. Screw the Arabs -- as soon as we can get free of their oil, let them rot.
The U.S. needs to stop supporting this regime. A description of Saudi Arabia: No freedom, no prayer of Democracy while the Saudi royal family rules, totally oppresive, supporters of terrorism, they allow (and probably support) fighters crossing into Iraq to kill American troops.
Reapolitik is one thing... In this case the U.S. is supporting it's own enemies.
"Specifically the judges cited Faleh's criticism of Saudi Arabia's education system, which he blamed for two years of violence by al Qaeda supporters"
So he stated an obvious truth and is going to jail for 9 years because of it! These scumball judges should be the ones put in jail, along with all of the Al Qaeda lovers who help with their funding and political protection.
3 different terrorism experts reviewing Islamo-fascist websites which list their so-called 'martyrs' in Iraq find that 50-70% of the suicide bombers in Iraq are Saudis. Wonder where they learned that jihad was supposed to take them straight to heaven and 72 virgins???
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