QATIF — The Criminal Court in Qatif is set to deliver its verdicts on Wednesday against several people allegedly involved in riots that took place in the city over the last two years, a court source told Al-Hayat daily. The court looked into the cases separately over the past two weeks and held several hearings in the presence of representatives from the National Society for Human Rights. It had to reschedule some hearings because defendants could not attend. However, those defendants appeared later before the court and submitted their defense statements. All defendants, aged 18 to 35, have admitted the charges against them before the court and signed confession statements. They were accused of vandalizing public and private properties and shouting anti-government slogans. Over the past two years, Qatif has witnessed sporadic acts of riots and vandalism that claimed the lives of several citizens and security officers. The Interior Ministry issued a list of 23 people wanted in connection with the riots. Some were arrested, some killed and others surrendered to the police. The rest are still on the run and police are searching for them.
