The Special Criminal Court here Tuesday sentenced 16 men to prison sentences of up to 30 years for sedition and other offenses. The men faced charges ranging from attempting to seize power, incitement against the rulers, financing terrorism, money laundering and trying to set up a political party. Among the charges were questioning the belief of the Saudi scholars and the independence of the judicial system in the Kingdom. Fourteen of the accused are Saudis. The two others are a Syrian and a Yemeni. The prison terms range from 5 to 30 years. The sentences can be challenged within 30 days. The verdicts were announced in the presence of a large number of relatives of the accused, representatives of the Human Rights Commission and local media. The Prosecutor General handed over copies of the verdict to the accused at the end of the court session. The Interior Ministry says nearly 5,700 people have been detained in cases concerning suspected militancy.
