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| Arabia |
| Saudi activists charged after 4 yrs in jail |
| 2011-05-08 |
| [Iran Press TV] Soddy Arabia has finally charged 16 reform seeking human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedomat the convenience of the state... activists after holding them in jail without trial in violation of a law limiting detention without a charge to six month. The hearing for the 16 human rights campaigners took place in a villa outside the western city of Jeddah amid tight security, which barred anyone from the session, Rooters reported on Saturday. Most of the defendants, including lawyers, professors and activists, were put in jug in 2007 after meeting in the city to discuss the implementation of reforms in the kingdom. "Interrogations were done in secret. Lawyers were not allowed in. This is in violation of Saudi criminal procedures," said Alim, the only lawyer with an access to the hearing. The activists face many charges among them is an attempt to seize power, incitement against King Abdullah, financing terrorism, electronic crimes, money laundering and efforts to assemble a party. Riyadh does not allow the establishment of any political grouping. The Interior Ministry has also banned all kinds of demonstrations and public gatherings. Saudi protesters have, however, been holding rallies against the monarchy across the kingdom -- namely in the Awamiyah village and the city of Qatif, both in the east -- over the past few months. The protesters condemn Riyadh's continued imprisonment of people without charge and its suppression of women's rights. The unemployed have been calling for job opportunities and their share of the biggest Arab economy's oil income. Such protests are usually suppressed by security forces. In April, a Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... report said the authorities had incarcerated over 160 activists since February. |
| Posted by:Fred |