The Specialist Penal Court Saturday continued hearing the trial against seven terrorism suspects. The five Saudis and two Egyptians face charges of incitement against the ruler, arousing sedition and affecting national cohesion. They are also charged with trying to harm the state's respect, security and judicial institutions; producing and saving and publishing material affecting the public order which resulted in sowing seeds of sedition. They are also charged with assisting and approving of adherents of Al-Qaeda terrorist ideology. Finally they are charged with embracing deviant Takfiri thought and believing it is permissible to take the lives and property of others, which are inviolable under Islam. During the session the 1st, 2nd and 3rd accused appeared before the court. The judge agreed to the request of 1st and 3rd suspects to adjourn the hearing for a month to prepare their replies to the charges against them. He also promised to forward to the authorities concerned a request from the 1st defendant to visit his sick mother. Replying to the charges against him, the second accused admitted some of them in part. However, the Prosecutor General stressed that the defendant's testimony has been attested according to the Shariah and requested the judge to refer to the evidence in this regard. The judge then asked the 2nd accused: “Were you coerced before the judge to attest your confessions?” The terror suspect admitted that he did not make the attestation of his confessions under duress. The judge said he would make a final decision on the request for bail in the next court session. The court session was attended by six family members of the accused, four lawyers and representatives of the Human Rights Commission.
