RIYADH — The Special Criminal Court in Riyadh on Tuesday started the trial of 13 women who staged an anti-government protest in Buraidah in the central region of Qassim. A source said the women charged with participating in protests and demonstrations, causing social unrest, burning pictures of the minister of interior and chanting slogans for the overthrow of the government. Qassim Police arrested scores of people, including a number of women, in March 2013 for holding demonstrations demanding the release of relatives involved in terrorist activities from prison. The source said three of the women being tried are sisters. None of them were arrested and they did not attend the hearing. Four of the accused assigned two people, one of them a lawyer and the other the husband of a defendant, to represent them in court, said the source. He said media personnel and a representative from the Human Rights Commission were also present at the hearing. "The judge told the representatives of the women that it was important for all the accused women to attend the hearings. The representatives replied that it was difficult for the women to travel from Qassim to Riyadh. The judge said the government would pay the travel and accommodation expenses for the women when they come to Riyadh for the trial," said the source. He said the women were previously tried in Qassim for similar charges. "The judge said the women have committed a serious violation and they must be present at the hearing. The public prosecutor said the women were incited by external elements to protest against the government. They have disobeyed the system and caused social unrest. The prosecutor sought suitable punishment for the women, including a travel ban," said the source. The source said the women's representatives requested the judge to give them one month to respond to the charges. The judge scheduled the next hearing on Dec. 20.
