RIYADH, 21 November 2007 — The three judges presiding over a trial of two members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue the Prevention of Vice — charged with the alleged murder of Salman Al-Huraisi in a commission raid carried out in late May — will begin listening to the testimonies of eyewitnesses next week.
According to the attorney representing the Al-Huraisi family, Yahya Al-Huraisi, judges wrapped up yesterday’s hearing, saying that eyewitnesses will be testifying next week. “The eyewitnesses will testify that they saw one of the two commission members enter Al-Huraisi’s house. Another will testify that he saw the commission member beat Al-Huraisi,” the attorney told Arab News.
Both commission members previously denied in court all charges against them, saying that they neither beat the deceased nor took part in the raid. The next court hearing has been postponed to Tuesday, Nov. 27. The judges also asked the attorney in yesterday’s session whether the family was still pursuing their case against the commission members. The attorney said they were.
Meanwhile, a lower court in Riyadh handed sentences to five members of Al-Huraisi’s family for resisting arrest by commission members. Al-Huraisi’s father, Muhammad, 73, was sentenced to two years in jail and 50 lashes; Faisal, a brother of the deceased, who is also blind, was handed a three-month jail sentence; Ismail, another brother, was handed a two-year and eight-month sentence for resisting arrest and possessing alcohol and narcotics; and Ahmed, a nephew of the deceased, was handed a one-year jail sentence.
All five members of the family have one week to sign their approval of the court ruling or refuse. If they refuse, the case will then be transferred to a Cassation Court where another ruling will be issued.
“We are still hesitant to sign,” Ali Al-Huraisi, brother of the deceased told Arab News. “Despite them (the commission) trying to put us down and (making us) drop the case with these rulings, we will continue to pursue our main case in court,” he said.
