(MENAFN- Arab News) First defendant and the leader of Cell 86, accused of embracing the takfiri approach under Al-Qaeda and planning and recruitment for terrorist acts, told the Special Criminal Court in Riyadh that he participated in the storming of the Oasis residential compound in Alkhobar in 2004. He said his mates told him there were Iraqi women inside taken as hostages by American forces. He said he was only concerned with storming the complex and freeing those women. The prosecution told the court that the defendant has denied all charges against him except for the storming of the Oasis compound in Alkhobar. Judges in a joint session were still debating the release of the accused on bail. In his reply to the prosecution's 27 charges against him, the defendant said most of these were untrue and maintained he only participated in the storming of the Oasis complex. "In the beginning I was determined to travel and fight against foreign forces in Islamic countries," he said. "My father was afraid for me and didn't allow me, and I told the organizers I can't travel outside the country, and I went back to my secondary school studies." He added: "My father transferred me to another school because he was afraid I would stay in touch with pupils with jihadist thoughts and I went to school in Turba." But, he said he wanted to leave the country again and went back to his friends for help since his father had asked the security forces to monitor his movements. "Our object was to leave the country, and after that the situation changed and we failed to leave," he told the court. "It became a fight (against the) Americans who had occupied Iraq. I don't mind helping my colleagues, but not in any haphazard way like bombings or such like for fear of casualties and loss of innocent lives."