During the session, the judge informed the defendants about their right to appoint a lawyer at the expense of the Justice Ministry.

Defendant No. 30 asked the court to appoint a lawyer for him to defend his case while Defendant No. 26 said he wanted to make his brother as his agent.

The other three defendants had already appointed lawyers. The court asked the five suspects to present their replies in the next session.

“Defendant No. 27 requested the judge to send him to a specialized hospital for treatment and the judge agreed to contact authorities for the purpose,” an informed source told Arab News.

The public prosecutor had filed cases against 85 suspects for their alleged involvement in the Riyadh bombing on May 13, 2003, that killed and injured about 240 people. The victims included women and children apart from security officers.

The defendants are also accused of plotting attacks against military bases as well as oil and industrial installations.

The militants are also accused of plotting to attack military bases and industrial installations.

In a hearing on Monday, all five defendants, allegedly members of the so-called Dandani cell, denied the charges against them.

Their lawyer argued in the court that confessions from his clients were forcibly extracted by the investigators.