RIYADH – In a press statement issued Thursday the Ministry of Interior clarified facts about detainees who have either been convicted or are facing charges of involvement in terrorist activities. Some people are distorting the facts regarding these detainees and are organizing small gatherings to ask for their release in order to sow discord by providing videotapes of the gatherings to media outlets and the Internet, the statement said. It said that the cases of all detainees held on charges relating to activities and crimes of deviant groups are currently subject to the judicial procedures of the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution and the Specialized Criminal Court and preliminary and general verdicts have been issued against some of the defendants, while others are awaiting trial. The ministry's statement emphasized that all the detainees – whether convicted or accused – fully enjoy Shariah, legal and human rights being overseen by the Investigation and Prosecution Board, Human Rights Commission and the National Society for Human Rights. It also said that all the detainees including their dependents and families receive reasonable financial aid to meet their living, health and educational expenses. The Interior Ministry said that it has established a liaison office for the families of detainees in order to communicate with them and meet their needs. The statement referred to the detainees whose names were mentioned in a number of small gatherings, saying that imprisonment verdicts have been issued against some of them while others were being tried by specialized courts for committing crimes resulting in the injuries and death of a large number of innocent people. It said that Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Turki was sentenced to four years in prison for brokering the marketing of uranium between two countries even though he was aware of the fact that the substance is used in manufacturing nuclear weapons. When he was released he did not abide by his commitment. He has been detained for cooperating with suspicious quarters with the purpose of inflaming public opinion. The female prisoner, Haila Al-Qaseer, was charged by the court with collecting money and smuggling it to help terrorist organizations, instigating armed resistance against security personnel, acquiring arms, and branding the government as infidel. She was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. The verdict was approved by the Court of Cassation. The prisoner, Muhammad Bin Saleh Al-Bejadi, has been sentenced by the court to four years in prison and is serving his jail term. He was charged with communicating with foreign quarters to carry out acts aimed at undermining the country's security in addition to other crimes proved against him. The detainee, Badr Bin Fahd Bin Sameh, is being tried along with a group of 14 accused. He faces charges of joining a terrorist cell inside the country besides his involvement in planning and preparing a terrorist operation targeting residential areas. He bought a car and prepared it for detonation and attempted to conceal the suicide operation which the terrorist organization asked him to undertake. He was arrested before the execution of the crime. The ministry said that Namr Souhaj Al-Baqami is being tried along with a group of 86 suspects. He and his group are charged with attacking two oil companies and a compound in Al-Khobar, shooting at security guards and killing innocent people. He is also charged with participating in the killing of 15 people, detonating explosives at a compound and at the building of the General Administration of Traffic and attempting to kill a number of security personnel. Detainee Fahd Abdul Aziz Al-Shrhan is being tried along with 50 suspects. They are charged with giving shelter to Rakan Al-Saykhan, who was in charge of arming terrorists. Al-Shrhan misused his military post to support the terrorist organization in the country and leaked security information about certain locations. Detainee Muhammad Mosleh Al-Shihiri is presently receiving treatment under tight security. The Shariah Court is looking into his case and that of a group of 85 suspects. He is charged with a number of crimes most importantly his involvement in the cell which detonated explosives at Al-Hamra, Vinyl and Granada compounds in east Riyadh in 2011. He drove a Dyna truck loaded with explosives and unloaded it at the detonation site. Detainee Fahd Ali Al-Qhtani is being tried along with a group of 85 suspects. He is the only survivor of the suicide group which participated in the Al-Hamra Compound blast. He was one of the attackers. Detainee Khalf Hamdan Al-Twailaie Al-Enezi is being tried along with a group of 85 suspects. He is charged with joining Al-Qaeda and meeting suicide operators in one of their secret hideouts before their attack in the east of Riyadh. Detainee Khaled Jarllah Al-Meshari is being tried along with 50 suspects. They are charged with joining Al-Qaeda and a terrorist organization in the country, supplying it with weapons and ammunition used in detonating explosives at Al-Mohya Compound, the building of the General Administration of Traffic, and the Interior Ministry building. The ministry reiterated the importance of refraining from participation in any gathering or procession as security personnel will firmly deal with all violators according to the law. – SPA
