JEDDAH, 9 December 2003 — A Riyadh court has sentenced 36 citizens including three women to 55 days in prison for demonstrating in Riyadh two months ago, Al-Watan Arabic newspaper reported yesterday.
“A summary court on Sunday sentenced 36 Saudi men and women to 55 days in prison for taking part in a gathering in the Al-Olaya area two months ago,” the paper said.
“The judge ordered the group to be released for time already served after it was confirmed that they had fallen prey to a dubious party calling itself the Movement for Islamic Reform,” said the paper.
Al-Watan predicted the jailed demonstrators would be released within a few days. “They have sent a cable to the interior minister condemning the Al-Muhaya bombing and other terrorist attacks in the Kingdom,” it added.
The group held a protest rally on Oct. 14 in response to calls from an exiled dissident group.
Interior Minister Prince Naif had warned anyone staging demonstrations in violation of the law would be punished.
“The country’s laws categorically ban gatherings for the purpose of demonstrations and protests. Those who participate in such gatherings will be punished,” a high-level source said.
Officials said police arrested some 271 individuals after the demonstration in Riyadh for interrogation.
Prince Naif confirmed the arrests. “We have arrested these people for investigation and the law will be applied to them,” Prince Naif told Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News.
He said the protesters, who gathered on the King Fahd Expressway in Riyadh’s Al-Olaya district, were holding placards with names including Ghida Al-Sharif.
They stood in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic. Security forces then intervened to break up the gathering and arrested the demonstrators.
