• Fifteen minutes before the start of the court session, one of the accused entered the courtroom and walked out with fellow defendants in protest after seeing reporters there. He accused the media of lying and damaging their image.

• The court session started at 10 a.m.  in the presence of journalists and human rights organizations.

• All the defendants wanted lawyers from the Ministry of Justice to represent them. The defendants admitted that they couldn’t afford legal aid.

• One of the defendants arrested one year before the Riyadh explosions and who pledged to respect the country’s laws, allegedly broke his promise and joined Al-Dandani’s cell. The defendant appeared to be injured and was in a wheelchair. He demanded treatment for injuries he received to his spine. He demanded another investigation into the allegations against him. On his way out, the defendant looked at reporters and told them to defend the truth.

• One defendant told the judge that he spent nine years in jail. He asked for a lawyer, whether from inside or outside the Kingdom. He said he could not remember the incident.

• One of the defendants told the judge that he handed himself over to police. The judge told him that this would be taken into consideration and his rights would be guaranteed under Islamic law.

• One of the defendants told the judge that his reputation was clean. He denied making certain confessions. He told the judge that he believes in the court and its verdict. He told the judge that if any charge was proved against him, he would accept the consequences. He tried to gain the sympathy of the judge by saying that he has four daughters in addition to his sisters and said that he does not know Al-Qaeda or any other organization. He said his sisters are handicapped. He told the judge that he was sick and that the first time he heard the word “rights” was in the courtroom.

• Another defendant told the judge that he trusted the court’s judgment. The judge thanked the defendants that they were happy with the Islamic law that guaranteed their rights.

• The presiding judge adjourned the hearing when one of his fellow judges went to the restroom.

• One defendant claimed he was tortured during questioning. He claimed he was admitted to the hospital four times. He requested enough time to challenge the list of charges against him. The judge answered that in case the hearings were not long enough to challenge the list of charges, he would be given more time.

• One of the defendants recruited his brother to join the cell, the court heard. He forced him to join a group that stormed one of the compounds, but his brother survived the attack and took refuge in one of the homes where he shot a woman.

• One of the defendants described the former head of the Shoura Council and the grand mufti as infidels. He praised the killing of police officers. He said he attacked one of the policemen during the investigation and injured his hand.

• One of the defendants denied he was in charge of media relations in the terror cell. He admitted some of the charges against him and said when police visited his house he surrendered peacefully. He accused the general prosecutor of lying and making false allegations against him.

• The list of charges was broadcast on a big TV screen in front of the defenders.

• The court took a break for Dhuhr prayer. Before the start of the afternoon session, one of the defendants told journalists to write about their experiences when their wives visit them, saying female prison guards inspect them thoroughly.

• One of the defendants said investigators threatened to harm his family. He denied all charges brought against him. He said he was looking forward to the time when they appear in court to face justice. He demanded prosecutors show strong evidence to back their claims. He said his wife faces harassment from women prison guards when she comes to visit him in jail. The judge promised to look into the case.

• The general prosecutor claimed that one of the defendants was consuming liquor and taking drugs and demanded he be punished.

• Five of the defendants were security officials before. The general prosecutor demanded severe punishment for them, accusing them of treason.

• One of the defendants was working in the registration office at a girls’ college. He allegedly handed 15 family cards to members of the terror cell to be used when evading police.