RIYADH, 19 May 2003 — Saudi defense lawyers appealed yesterday to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd to free five Britons and a Canadian convicted of planting a car bomb that killed a Briton here in November 2000.
Lawyers Salah Al-Hujailan and Ahmad Al-Tuwaijri said in a statement that after developments in the case, including a new witness, they believed that continuing on the same legal course “may not be appropriate.”
“Based on the desire of our clients, their families and ambassadors, the team decided to appeal to King Fahd to take their conditions into account,” and release them after the period they spent in jail, the statement said.
Sandy Mitchell, 44, from Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, and Glasgow-born Canadian William Sampson were sentenced to death and face public beheading. The others — James Cottle, from Manchester, Peter Brandon, thought to be from Wales, Les Walker from the Wirral, north-west England, and James Patrick Lee — are serving 12-year sentences. Belgian Raf Schyvens has been jailed for eight years.
The government says the blasts targeted Westerners involved in a multi-million dollar alcohol smuggling business. The lawyers said that all the defendants have withdrawn earlier confessions, but recently Lee decided to revert to his original confession and a new witness, Glenn Pollard, has appeared.
“The new details provided by the new witness,” and Lee’s decision are “essential matters that may impact the course of the case,” said the lawyers and affirmed that other defendants have insisted on withdrawing confessions. The defense team has held four meetings with Lee, attended the interrogation of the new witness, and met with other clients over the past two months, the statement said, before deciding to appeal for royal pardon.
A British businessman, Gary O’Nions, 57, convicted of running an illegal drinking den in Saudi Arabia was freed from jail earlier this month during a broad amnesty.
