The trial began on Jan. 16, with the defendants charged with operating a terror cell to undertake activities aimed at spreading sedition in the country.

Defendant No. 3 requested the court for more time to reply to the charge against him that a computer seized from his house carried incriminating data. He had denied all other charges made by the public prosecutor against him.

Defendant No. 4, who was released on bail, appeared in court and received the charge sheet including his confession statements.

The lawyer of Defendant No. 5 demanded a copy of his client’s confession statement so he could prepare and submit a defense statement in the next hearing.

The public prosecutor said in court that the practice of several defendants denying their original confessions in the court was not correct and appealed to the court to consider the original confessions as valid evidence.

Another defendant, an Egyptian, was released on bail on condition that he should attend the court hearings until the final verdict is issued.

In another hearing on Sunday, the court heard the defense statements of eight members of the Qatar cell accused of plotting to attack American military bases in Al-Udeid and Al-Sayliya in Qatar in addition to American ships and residential facilities. The cell allegedly had two divisions, one headed by a Saudi operating in the Kingdom and another headed by a Qatari operating in Qatar.

Defendant No. 1 denied all charges against him in a written statement.

Defendant No. 5, a Qatari citizen, withdrew his earlier written statement in the court on the argument that his lawyer would defend his case. The man was accused of leading the Qatari side of the cell.