A Saudi man who was on a list of 23 wanted criminals and who was accused of robbing several expats has been sentenced by a Riyadh court to 15 years in prison. He has also been banned from traveling abroad for 10 years.
The court also sentenced the Qatif man to 70 lashes in one go for taking drugs, including hashish and amphetamine pills. However, the judge rejected the public prosecutor’s demand to give the man a death sentence.
“The man was accused of pillaging a number of expats at a farm, threatening to kill them with a knife, after running away from prison,” said an official statement.
He was also accused of not surrendering after the Interior Ministry put his name on the wanted list. He had taken part in a number of anti-government demonstrations, demanding the release of detainees in the wake of the Alkhobar bombings. The man is also accused of demanding the exit of Peninsula Forces from Bahrain.
The defendant and the prosecutor have the right to appeal the verdict within 30 days.
Saudi on wanted list handed 15 years for anti-govt activity
