Abdullah bin Baz, son of the late Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz, alleged Kuwaiti lawyer Khaled Al-Shatti, businessman Mahmoud Haidar and the Kuwaiti channel Al-Adalah television defamed his father and other Saudi scholars by linking their Islamic ideologies to terrorism. Kuwaiti lawyer Mufrih Ghareeb Al-Mitairi was representing the plaintiff.

Well-informed Kuwaiti sources told the paper the defendants’ lawyers argued there were no recordings or transcripts of the channel’s broadcast available.

They said the channel used to delete the transcripts after three months. Al-Shatti’s lawyer said his client denied defaming Sheikh Bin Baz. The defendants’ lawyers also urged the court to acquit his clients.

Strongly opposing this, Al-Mitairi claimed the absence of video recordings of the broadcast was due to the deliberate delay of the defendants’ lawyers in requesting the file from the channel’s archives until 90 days had passed.

According to the newspaper, Al-Shatti made serious allegations against some Saudi scholars and religious symbols such as Sheikh Bin Baz and Sheikh Abdul Wahab when talking to Al-Adalah on March 22, 2011. Al-Adalah channel, owned by Haidar, aired Shatti’s statements for one week continuously.

Shatti asked the court to punish the defendants for not only defaming the two Saudi sheikhs, but also insulting millions of Muslims who respect and cherish them.

He had asked for compensation and a public apology from the defendants.

A number of prominent Kuwaiti figures, including members of the country’s parliament (Majlis Al-Umma) as well as writers, columnists and the media strongly denounced the allegations against the two Saudi religious symbols and called for bringing the defendants to justice.