- RIYADH: Prosecutors on the sixth and final day of the first phase of a trial involving 85 accused terrorists alleged in Riyadh that they used elaborate methods such as a woman’s veil to disguise themselves and poetry praising acts of terrorism to carry out horrific attacks on three compounds in the capital.
They also allegedly purchased surveillance equipment and possessed ammunition caches and hard cash to attack the complexes in 2003 as well as plotting to bomb two air bases.
A special court in Riyadh concluded Wednesday the reading of charges against the men, who were identified only by numbers. The bombing of the three compounds resulted in death and injuries to 239 people. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty for most of the defendants. One 38-year-old defendant, identified as No. 58, is being charged with receiving SR10,000 from Turki Al-Dandani, the mastermind of the terror cell named after him that sought to create mayhem in the Kingdom.
Another defendant, the poet accused of writing odes to recruit young men to the terrorist cause, was caught with 500 rounds of ammunition and SR47,000 in cash, prosecutors said Wednesday. He is also accused of smuggling a militant into Syria from Saudi Arabia.
No. 82 is charged with giving SR150,000 to Abdul Kareem Al-Yajzi, a terrorist who was later killed in a police encounter. He is also accused of having in his possession an explosive belt that has all the signs of belonging to an Al-Qaeda member, a charge he denied in court.
Another defendant, a Syrian, had a change of heart; he initially refused to hear the charges against him or to defend himself at the trial. On Wednesday he recanted, and asked for legal representation. He also asked the court to help his parents perform Umrah and Haj. Another defendant is accused of acquiring cameras and other surveillance equipment to collect intelligence on targets and to monitor anyone approaching his terrorist safe house.
The charges against No. 41 included transporting a leading terrorist to Abha by disguising him as a woman dressed in full veil. Defendant No. 67 was charged with recruiting new members to the Turki Al-Dandani terrorist cell. No. 78 was allegedly involved with forging a passport for an Al-Qaeda member and stealing identity documents. No. 79 is accused of recruiting for Al-Qaeda. Charges against No. 80 include sheltering Turki Al-Dandani and other militants who planned to launch terror attacks in the border city of Arar. Defendant No. 78 denied a charge that he influenced an investigator to acquire files against terrorist suspects. He and the investigator ended up serving time years ago, but the defendant alleges that while the investigator was released he was not after his 10-month term was served. He urged the judge to be fair in his treatment. The judge promised that all defendants would be given opportunities to defend their cases in the next phase of the trial.
