Saudi- 25 terror convicts given jail terms

(MENAFN- Arab News) A special court in Riyadh handed jail terms to 25 terror convicts ranging between 18 months and 19 years. The convicts were all Saudis with the exception of two Yemeni nationals. The charges include their adoption of the takfiri ideology or declaring those in disagreement with them as infidels; denying the legality of the state; financing terrorists; concealing fugitives and plotting assassinations of security officers. They were also charged with issuing religious edicts against rulers, breaking the law by traveling to locations of civil strife; illegal possession of arms and ammunition and joining training camps for terror attacks and warfare. While defendant No. 1 was sentenced to nine years in prison, defendant No. 3 got nine and half years of jail time. Defendants No. 4 and No. 19 were punished for 13 years each with a fine of SR3,000 and SR2,000 respectively. The longest prison time of 19 years was handed down to defendant No. 23 in addition to a SR2,000 fine while defendant No. 26 got away with only 18 months in jail. Defendant No. 11 was sentenced to 16 years and No. 25 for 15 years behind bars. Two of the defendants, No. 9 and 15, who are both Yemeni nationals, received five years and seven years respectively. They will be deported to their country after serving their time in Saudi jails. The Saudi convicts are banned from traveling outside the Kingdom after their release for a period of time nearly similar to their prison terms. All the convicts have the right to appeal the verdict within 30 days.