The Special Court here jailed for 15 years a Saudi woman known as “Al-Qaeda lady” for being the first woman in the Kingdom tried for involvement in violence by the terror network. “A Saudi woman was sentenced to 15 years in jail starting on the date of her arrest, followed by 15 years of a ban on travelling after her release,” Saudi Press Agency reported. The trial of the woman, described in media reports as Haila Al-Qassir, began on July 31. The list of charges over which the court convicted her included “sheltering people wanted for security related matters and inciting terror acts in the Kingdom,” SPA said. She was also condemned for “possessing two pistols” that she gave to militants and “financing terrorism and terror acts through collecting more than one million riyals and sending the money to Al-Qaeda Organization.” The 45-year-old “Al-Qaeda lady, was arrested last year in Buraidah in Qassim province. At her family's request, the trial is taking place in private and without media presence. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days. Meanwhile, five Saudi men and two Egyptians went on trial Saturday over charges including supporting Al-Qaeda and “incitement” against authorities. Eighty-five suspects went on trial in a special security court in June in connection with deadly attacks in the Kingdom. The defendants face charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda, of taking part in attacks on public buildings and residential compounds, and of smuggling and possession of weapons.
