Govt denies unfair treatment of terror suspects

RIYADH: The Ministry of Interior has denied unfair treatment of convicted terrorists or terror suspects on trial. The ministry was reacting to allegations made in video clips circulating online.
“Fabricated videos are circulated on the Internet and other media outlets to falsify facts with the aim of inflaming sentiment and spreading subversion. The videos are made in short and small gatherings organized in public places to demand the release of culprits,” a statement released by the ministry said yesterday.
The ministry added that all terror cases fall under legal procedures before the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) and the special court. In some cases preliminary or final verdicts have been issued while others are being tried, the statement said.
“All the detainees and convicts are enjoying their full legitimate legal and human rights under the supervision of the BIP, Saudi Human Rights Commission and the National Human Rights Commission,” the ministry said.
The Interior Ministry also stressed that no one interferes in any form in independent and just judicial procedures in the country. It also warned people to keep away from illegal gatherings or marches and that such violations would be dealt with legally.
The statement said all detainees and their dependents receive financial support for their daily needs, including health care and education.
“The ministry has also set up an office to contact the families and relatives of the detainees to provide for their needs,” it said.
The ministry also gave a list of 10 detainees or convicts whose names were exploited in illegal gatherings. The statement said these people were either convicted or under trial "for crimes that resulted in murder or injury of a large number of innocent people.”
One of them is Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Turki, who was earlier handed a four-year prison term for acting as a middleman in the sale of uranium between two countries. After his release, he was arrested again because he violated his probation conditions by colluding with dubious agencies to incite public opinion.
Another name that figured in the illegal campaign was Hailah Al-Qusayyir, who is serving 15 years after being convicted for collecting funds for Yemeni terror organizations and inciting people for armed resistance against security forces, in addition to the possession of weapons and declaring members of the government as infidels.
Another convict, Muhammad Al-Bajadi, received four years for collaborating with foreign agencies in efforts to destabilize security in the Kingdom.
The fourth on the list is Badr bin Fahd Smeeh, who is currently being prosecuted with 14 other suspects for forming a terror cell and plotting terror attacks at residential locations in the Kingdom.
Detainee Namir Al-Bugami is currently facing trial along with 86 other suspects. He is charged with driving rashly into two oil company offices and a residential complex in Alkhobar in a car ready to explode and for shooting at security guards and murdering 15 people, besides participating in the blast of the Al-Mahya residential complex and a traffic police office. Another detainee, Fahd Al-Sharhan, is currently facing trial with 50 other suspects for harboring Rakan Al-Saikhan, an arms specialist of a terror organization in the country, and misusing his military position to support terrorism, in addition to leaking security intelligence to terrorist organizations.
Muhammad Al-Shahri, who is currently under treatment in hospital and one of the 85 wanted terrorists under trial, is accused of taking part in the terror blasts in residential complexes in Riyadh in 2002.
Fahd Ali Al-Qahtani, one of the 85 wanted terrorists, is currently on trial. He is the only surviving suicide bomber of the Al-Hamra residential complex in 2002.