RIYADH, 8 December 2006 — The Belgian government is seeking consular access to two nationals who were arrested in Madinah last month in connection with a raid in Egypt that netted several foreigners accused of terrorist links, said Belgian Ambassador Rudi Schellinck. He said Belgium and Saudi Arabia are cooperating on this issue.
“The Belgian mission has asked for consular access and consular protection for the detained persons as per the provisions of the Vienna Convention,” said Schellinck. “We are also awaiting detailed information from the Saudi officials about the two men.”
Saudi police arrested the two men on Nov. 10, according to a report released in Brussels and confirmed by the ambassador. The report said that Belgium had been informed of the arrest by Saudi authorities.
The Egyptian Interior Ministry said on Monday that a number of French, US, Belgian, Syrian and Tunisian nationals had been arrested in Cairo with links to terror groups that were recruiting fighters for Iraq. They were allegedly found with documents tying them to terror groups.
Egypt said yesterday that it deported eight Frenchmen and two Belgians detained in the sweep.
The two Belgians detained in Madinah were believed to have links with those arrested in Cairo in mid-November.
A Brussels-based security official, who was quoted in the report, said that the arrests in Egypt took place in Cairo and Alexandria.
Interior Minister Prince Naif said earlier this week that Saudi security forces in the recent past has broken up at least seven terrorist cells.
