JEDDAH — The Riyadh District Court sentenced two Saudis in a treason trial to a total of 15 years in prison after they have been found guilty of forming an association to incite sedition and disrupt the country's security. The judge also ordered that the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (SCPRA) be dissolved and its funds as well as publications be confiscated because it did not obtain a license to operate from concerned authorities. The two accused were also banned from traveling while serving their prison terms. One of them was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the other to five years. They both challenged the verdicts and said they wanted to appeal the sentences in higher courts. The court session was open to citizens and local and foreign media. Both defendants conceded that they were responsible for publishing statements in the name of the SCPRA, which called for disobeying the ruler and rebelling against the government. They also called for hunger strikes to secure the release of prisoners whom they described innocent. They argued it was permissible by Shariah to protest against the government and they considered it an act of jihad. They said all the activities they engaged in were permissible by the Shariah. They accused scholars of taking money to issue fatwas banning protests. They questioned the honesty of some of the scholars. The pair were accused of feeding foreign organizations and media with false information about the Kingdom and violating the cyber crime law. They were also charged with activities aiming to damage national unity and spread chaos through calling for public protests and promulgating material encouraging the general public to take to the streets. One of the defendants was sentenced in 2005 to seven years in prison but was pardoned later after signing an undertaking that he would not engage in any activities that would damage and jeopardize the national unity in future.
