NAJRAN, 11 December 2002 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd has halved the jail terms of 70 Saudis sentenced in connection with the Najran riots, press reports said.
King Fahd took the decision on Sunday, a week after commuting the death sentences of 17 others to 10 years in jail, Okaz newspaper reported.
The king also ordered the men to be moved from their jail in Riyadh to Najran to enable relatives to visit them, especially during Eid.
The decision was taken after the prisoners and their families submitted "apologies and repented for their actions," the reports said.
The riots took place on April 24, 2000 near the Najran governor’s residence after police arrested an expatriate sorcerer practicing black magic in this southern border city.
Speaking to Okaz, Najran Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Saud expressed happiness over the king’s gesture toward the jailed rioters.
"What I have done in this respect is my duty toward my people. Nobody will be happier than me at the royal gesture," the governor told the newspaper.
