So far 12 defendants have appeared before the court — six during its first session on Sunday and six during a hearing yesterday.

The list of charges against the defendants included adhering to Takfiri (describing others as infidels) ideology which is against the Qur'an and Sunna, communicating with Al-Qaeda, hiding terrorists, acquiring arms, ammunition and explosives, financing terrorist operations, providing PR support to terrorists, training on the manufacturing of explosives, disobeying the ruler and fighting in Iraq under the leadership of Jordanian Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi.

The charges also included providing accommodation to a number of wanted terrorists such as Fahd Al-Juwair, Younis Al-Hayari, Muhammad Al-Ghaith, Fahd Al-Qablan, Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri and Ibrahim Al-Mitair.

During the two court sessions, the general attorney read out charges against each of the defendants. The judge in the case handed each of them the list of charges and asked them to submit their written replies. He also informed them of their right to appoint lawyers to defend them and said the Justice Ministry would appoint lawyers for those who were unable to do so financially.

Eleven defendants asked for lawyers appointed by the Justice Ministry while Defendant No. 5 said he would defend himself. Defendant Nos. 9 and 12 asked to be represented by two of their relatives as well as ministry lawyers. Defendant No. 7 said he would pay for a lawyer.

Representatives of the Human Rights Commission and the press attended the sessions.

Charges against the Defendant No. 1 included not informing the authorities about the terrorists though he knew their plans, renting a rest house in Riyadh to accommodate terrorists, receiving SR5,000 from Fahd Al-Juwair to secure materials needed for the manufacturing of explosives, forging driver's licenses and car plates.

Defendant No. 2 was accused of receiving SR1,500 from terrorist Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri to rent a furnished apartment in his name to house the terrorists, and receiving an amount of SR15,000 from the same terrorist to rent a rest house. Defendant No. 3 was accused of delivering messages among terrorists, creating a media group to support terrorism, publishing inflammatory statements on a number of electronic sites, recruiting terrorists and acquiring laptops to be used by terrorists.

Defendant No. 4 was accused of receiving a number of terrorists in Makkah and guiding them to their accommodation, receiving SR5,000 to buy mobile phones, using his own car to provide terrorists with transport and acquiring machine guns.

Defendant No. 5 was accused of carrying out terrorist operations in the name of holy war, escaping to desert areas to hide from the security forces and following up news about terrorists on the Internet.

Defendant No. 6 was accused of convincing his cousin to accommodate one of the terrorists, transporting one of the wanted terrorists to his cousin’s apartment and breaking the pledge he had previously made to stay away from terrorists.

Defendant No. 7 was accused of harboring three terrorists in his own house, distributing terrorist publications and using his own car to transport terrorists.

Defendant No. 8 was accused of keeping the writings and pictures of Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahri and Al-Zarqawi, delivering SR 3,000 from one terrorist to another and describing suicide operations as martyrdom.

Defendant No. 9 was charged with defaming the Kingdom fighting in Iraq, facilitating the travel of young men to volatile zones and forging travel documents.

Defendant No. 10 was charged with forging IDs, delivering SR22,500 to a wanted terrorist who was living outside the Kingdom, purchasing arms and recruiting terrorists.

Defendant No. 11 was accused of harboring and transporting terrorists while Defendant No. 12 was accused of using the house allotted to him as a muezzin in one of the mosques to accommodate terrorists, organizing meetings between wanted men and acquiring arms.