The Specialist Penal Court Monday resumed retrial of 17 terror suspects — 16 Saudis and a Yemeni after its preliminary verdict was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. Dr. Abdullah Al-Sa'dan, spokesman of the Ministry of Justice, said charges against the defendants include forming a terrorist cell belonging to Al-Qaeda, planning and beginning to carry out terrorist operations within the Kingdom, targeting the source of oil on the orders of an Al-Qaeda commander (Al-Zawahiri), attempting to assassinate figures within the country in order to disturb security, setting up training camps for Al-Qaeda recruits within the Kingdom and in Iraq, arranging contacts with coordinators in Syria to enable entry into Iraq, and providing them with weapons and financial support for these acts. The lawyers of the accused attended the court session along with a representative of the Human Rights Commission. The judge did not allow the media to attend the court proceedings.
