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| Arabia |
| Judge Says Torture Allegations by Britons Baseless |
| 2004-05-15 |
| A Saudi high court judge has dismissed as âbaselessâ allegations by four Britons that they were tortured at a Riyadh prison to extract confessions. Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Khudairy said the six Westerners â four Britons, a Canadian and a Belgian â were convicted after 13 judges had looked into the case. Three of them were sentenced to death while two others were given jail terms for carrying out a series of blasts in Riyadh and Alkhobar in 2001, Okaz newspaper reported. The court convicted the five after they confessed their crimes on Saudi Television. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd later pardoned them at the request of their families. âThe case had been looked into by three judges in the first phase before it was taken up by five judges of the cassation court and five judges from the Supreme Judiciary Council,â Khudairy said. He said the five Westerners were given access to all judicial facilities including freedom to talk, simultaneous translation and defense lawyers. âNo coercion or torture was used to extract their confessions. They revealed the source of the explosives they used to carry out the blasts,â he said. Khudairy denied the prisoners complained about torture in Hair Prison at the time. âThe judges asked the prisoners whether they had been tortured to extract confessions, but they said no,â he said. The prisoners were speaking through a translator. âThe Kingdom treated these people well but they did not deserve it,â he said in reference to the royal pardon and their later allegations. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Otaibi, a security and political affairs adviser, said the issue was being raised now to deflect attention from the torture of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers. âWe are confident in our Islamic judiciary, which is based on justice and truth. We are also confident in our security officers who investigated the prisoners; they are known for their truthfulness, honesty and impartiality,â he said. âThese prisoners admitted their crime. Their accusations now that they were tortured have no value,â he added. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 âThe judges asked the prisoners whether they had been tortured to extract confessions, but they said no,â he said. The prisoners were speaking through a translator. I don't see any problems with denial, do you? . |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-05-15 11:43:14 PM |
| #1 Hair Prison - the barbarians ... I think I've been to that place. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-05-15 3:44:48 PM |