A district court in Riyadh yesterday issued a preliminary verdict for eight out of 10 Saudis involved in terrorist activity.

They are convicted of crimes including knowledge of a statement by Al-Qaeda calling for the assassination of intelligence officers, sending threats to officers, creating a group dedicated to assassinating intelligence officials, including Lt. Col. Mubarak Al-Suwat, planning to hold officers hostage for ransom, and following officers with the intent to kill.

Some of them were convicted for burning security patrol stations, targeting non-Muslim expatriates and adhering to extremist ideologies that brand the Saudi government an “infidel” regime.

Others were convicted of harboring fugitives, traveling to war-struck territories prone to discord and possession of weapons.

The session was attended by judges and all the defendants with the exception of the sixth and the ninth defendants. Media representatives were also present at the session, along with a representative from the Human Rights commission. The defendants were sentenced to terms spanning 10 to 25 years in prison.

They were told that they can appeal the sentence within 30 days of the issuance of the preliminary verdict.

A wave of deadly Al-Qaeda attacks from 2003 and 2006 in the kingdom prompted a massive crackdown by the authorities. During the last few years, scores of jailed terror suspects have subsequently been freed after undergoing rehabilitation.