Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — The 32 people on trial for spying for Iran revealed in their first appearance before the criminal court in Riyadh that the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself was involved in espionage against the Kingdom by backing them and meeting them in Tehran. The spy ring was busted between March and May 2014. It consisted of 30 Saudis, an Afghan national and an Iranian. Court sources said on Monday that the spies used to send coded messages containing confidential Saudi military information to Iranian intelligence. The sources said the information the spies relayed to Iran concerned the Kingdom's national security. They said some of the Saudi spies were holding top positions in the finance sector and some of them were senior academicians. The court began its session with the first batch of eight spies and listened to the attorney general's list of charges against them which included high treason. It will continue its sessions to try the other members throughout the week. The spies were accused of forming an espionage cell in collaboration and close cooperation with Iran's intelligence elements, sending highly-confidential military data about the Kingdom to Iran, attempting to commit acts of sabotage against the Kingdom's vital installations and meeting Khamenei. They were also accused of traveling to Iran and Lebanon. The spies were accused of hacking the security computers to obtain classified military and security data to present to Iran. They were also accused of accepting bribes and acquiring arms to use in destabilizing the country.
