During the trial at a special criminal court in Riyadh, Defendant No. 16 said he never intended to undermine the Kingdom’s security by involving in cross-border weapons smuggling.

It was the seventh session of hearing held by the court for the 41-member terror cell that plotted to carry out attacks on US military installations in Qatar. The cell included 38 Saudis, a Qatari, a Yemeni and an Afghani. It used Saudi territory to plot terrorist operation, the public prosecutor said.

The court heard the replies of Defendants No. 12, 16 and 17 on charges made against them by the prosecutor. Defendant No. 12 asked the court to appoint a lawyer to defend him while Defendant No. 16 gave his answers in writing.

The prosecutor rejected Defendant No. 16’s argument that he carried out weapons smuggling for business purposes, saying it was aimed at undermining the Kingdom’s security and stability.

Defendant No. 17 also ratified some of the confessions he had made during interrogation. “There are no evidence for the other allegations leveled against me,” he told the court.  Defendants 16 and 17 requested the judge to set them free on bail.

The judge said he would consider the release request in the next session. “The request to shift both of them to prisons close to their relatives would be passed to concerned authorities,” he added.

One of the militants asked the court what is the use of banning media persons from the court if newspapers are publishing reports of the trial the next day. The judge said it was the duty of the Justice Ministry’s spokesman to report what had happened in the court during the trial of terror suspects.