JEDDAH – The General Court in Jeddah on Wednesday postponed the hearing into the case of Ahmad Al-Jizawi, an Egyptian lawyer and two of his accomplices who were accused of forming a ring to smuggle narcotic pills into the Kingdom. The judge adjourned the case to Nov. 14 allowing a request from the public prosecutor for more time to compile testimonies from 21 prosecution witnesses in the case. While giving his ruling the judge reminded the prosecutor that it was the second time he was asking for a postponement of the hearing. Under the court regulations, the public prosecutor can request postponement of proceedings in a case for three times. However, the final postponement is generally reserved for summoning witnesses who fail to appear in court. Al-Jizawi, dressed in white jeans and a green shirt, arrived at the court well before the session began on Wednesday. During the hearing, the prosecutor made a submission to summons Saeed Hatata, Legal Director of Saudi Customs at King Abdulaziz International Airport, to give his testimony. Yasser Alwani, legal adviser to the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah who has been following up the case, attended the court session and helped Al-Jizawi to prepare his not guilty plea. Suleiman Al-Hunaini, legal adviser to the National Society for Human Rights, was also present in the court. Two customs officers at Jeddah airport gave their testimonies Wednesday confirming that they had found huge quantities of a controlled drug in Al-Jizawi's luggage. They emphasized that they had found the pills hidden in Holy Qur'an cases and powdered milk containers. Al-Jizawi requested the court's permission to submit as evidence a document issued by the customs authorities at Cairo airport certifying that his baggage did not contain any contraband while boarding the plane bound for Saudi Arabia. The judge asked the accused to keep the document with him and produce it later when he finishes examining other documents and circumstantial evidence related to the case. Al-Jizawi was charged with smuggling around 21,000 pills of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax into the Kingdom. He was arrested upon his arrival at Jeddah airport on April 17 to perform Umrah. The trial started in July.
