JEDDAH: A Saudi man in his 60s will appear before an Iraqi court this week to face charges of terrorism, even though he arrived legally in that country, local media reported on Sunday. 

Sources were quoted as saying that the Saudi national was taken into custody a year-and-a-half ago because the truck he was driving resembled the one driven by a Syrian national who had been caught while trying to smuggle a Yemeni national into Iraq. 

Meanwhile, sources reveal the Iraqi Ministry of Justice is considering requesting the release of three Saudi detainees in Al-Nasiriyah prison following completion of their sentences.

The representative of the Saudi detainees, Iraqi lawyer Hamid Ahmed, said the sentences vary between nine and 15 years, and relate to charges of crossing the Iraqi border illegally.

Hamid confirmed the new Iraqi law calculates the prison sentence of one year as nine months, rather than twelve months, provided that the detainee shows good conduct and behavior.

He said officials at Al-Nasiriyah prison revealed that three Saudis detainees are expected to be transferred by to Baghdad this week in preparation for deportation to the Kingdom.