JEDDAH, 14 August 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan received in Makkah on Friday Ali Al-Damini and Matrouk Al-Faleh, two of the five Saudis who were released last week after a royal pardon, press reports said yesterday.
King Abdullah also met with former Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and other foreign dignitaries, including OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who expressed their condolences on the death of King Fahd.
Damini and Faleh, who were sentenced to jail terms for sowing dissent and disobeying the ruler, thanked King Abdullah and Prince Sultan for the amnesty and pledged their allegiance to the new leadership, Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily reported.
The two Saudis were pardoned Monday along with Abdullah Al-Hamid, Saeed ibn Zaeer and Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem as well as five Libyans who were implicated in a plot to assassinate Abdullah in 2003 while he was crown prince.
Damini said he and Faleh went to Makkah from their own personal desire to meet King Abdullah and thank him for his kindness. He said both King Abdullah and Prince Sultan were happy to meet them.
Also yesterday, King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan met with Muhammad Al-Mirghani, president of Sudan’s United Democratic Party.
The two leaders also received groups of citizens as well as tribal delegations who came to express their sorrow over the death of King Fahd and to pledge their allegiance to the new leadership.
