The judge repeated to defendants the answers they gave during investigations and asked them to appoint lawyers to defend them during the next sessions.

The court began trying 85 alleged members of Al-Dandani's cell on June 27, 2011. Al-Dandani, the leader of the cell, was killed in a confrontation with security forces on July 3, 2004.

Under the charges compiled by the general attorney, Defendant No. 1 was accused of joining Al-Qaeda, breaching an oath of allegiance to the ruler, traveling to Afghanistan, meeting Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and participating in the attacks against the Aramco compounds.

Other charges include harboring terrorists, collecting donations in the name of charity to finance terrorist operations, forging official documents, acquiring 20 Kalashnikovs and four pistols with their ammunition, transporting explosives and weapons from Riyadh to the Eastern Province, selling arms and facilitating the entry of some terrorists to the Kingdom.

Defendant No. 2 was accused of taking an oath of allegiance to Osama Bin Laden, embezzling SR130,000 from a charity organization, acquiring five pistols and two machine guns without licenses, participating in an attempt to blow up a residential complex in Yanbu Industrial City, harboring terrorists and forging travel documents.

Defendant No. 3 was accused of spying for terrorist cells while working at the King Fahd Causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, accepting bribes to facilitate the entry of some terrorists to the Kingdom with forged passports and delivering money to terrorists.

Defendant No. 4 was accused of joining Al-Qaeda, revealing classified security information to terrorists while working as a security guard, renting an apartment in Riyadh used by the terrorists before a confrontation with security forces in which two officers were injured, financing terrorism and enabling one of the accused to travel outside the Kingdom.

Defendant No. 5 was accused of acquiring weapons which were used in attacks against security forces, escaping with the cell leader in his car, stealing a car from a citizen at gunpoint and paying SR8,000 to rent an apartment for terrorists.

Defendant No. 6 was accused of joining Al-Qaeda, traveling to Iraq without permission, participating in attacks against security forces, facilitating the travel of 15 people to Afghanistan, harboring terrorists and collecting money to finance terrorist operations.

Before the start of the session, the judge in the case took reporters on a tour of a clinic established by the Ministry of Justice in the court to treat emergency cases involving defendants and court staff. The clinic is manned by a doctor and a nurse.

"This is an indication of the ministry’s keenness to provide consummate services to all defendants, especially those accused in terrorism cases," he said.

The court yesterday also began hearing the defense of the main defendant who planned to use poison to assassinate top government officials. He was allegedly working for a cell called the “Poisoning Cell.”

The judge gave the defendant’s lawyer a copy of the list of charges against him. The lawyer was appointed by the brother of the defendant who said he had no objection to legal representation.

Representatives from the Human Rights Commission and the press attended the session.