Ahmad Abdullah Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – A man accused of developing terrorism ideologies for the so-called “Cell of 29” has refused to respond to the charges against him for the third time at a Riyadh court on Sunday. The judge at the special penal court was forced to adjourn the session ahead of issuing a verdict on the man, identified as Defendant No. 14. The judge told the defendant that according to Islamic law he is given three opportunities to respond to the charges against him. If the defendant still prefers to remain silent, then a verdict is issued based on the charges and evidence against him. The judge told the accused that he could hire a lawyer or give power of attorney to someone to represent him on his expense. If he could not afford the fees then the Ministry of Justice would cover them, the accused was told. After the defendant still refused to respond, the judge asked the prosecution to describe the evidence against him and the hearing was adjourned. In a trial involving the so-called “Cell of 29”, the special penal court on Sunday looked into the 21 charges against Defendant No. 8. Most prominent among the charges was exploiting his job as a teacher to obtain photocopies of the identity cards of students' guardians that were then handed over to Al-Qaeda members. He allegedly traveled to Al-Qassim region where he went on a trip in the desert with several people to get firearms training. He also used a card from the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) to collect donations to support the terrorist organization, the court heard. He was charged with donating SR100,000 to Al-Qaeda. He received the amount from the now dead terrorist Yusuf Al-Iyairi, it was alleged. The defendant is accused of purchasing 16 cameras and flashes. The charges include embracing the takfiri ideology (labeling Muslims as infidels) and participating in terror activities with his brother, who has also been detained. He conspired to target a housing compound for foreigners in Jubail, the court heard. He allegedly supported Al-Qaeda militarily and purchased a car to escape with in case members of the organization were pursued. The prosecution said there was enough evidence to convict him of the charges and demanded the death sentence for the defendant. The session was attended by three judges, the Prosecutor General, a representative of the Human Rights Commission and local reporters.
