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| Arabia | |
| Hard-core terrorists to remain in jail after serving time | |
| 2009-07-14 | |
| Forty-two of the most "hard core" of the 330 Al-Qaeda militants will not be released even after they serve out their time. "The authorities will not release many of the hard-core militants because of their complicity in acts of terrorism, which were proved by the courts," said Justice Ministry spokesman Abdullah Al-Sadhan at a news conference in Riyadh. He was accompanied by Ministry of Information spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Hazza. Al-Sadhan said all of the convicts "can appeal against the verdict of the special Saudi courts." The officials were addressing concerns expressed by some human rights advocates that these men have not received adequate legal counsel. The officials said the Kingdom's security agencies had stepped up efforts to bring to book suspects who are still at large. The charges against the 330 men include conspiring with Al-Qaeda, threatening national security and financing terrorism. "Those who neither confessed nor repented before the judiciary will not be given any concession," said Al-Sadhan. Sentences range from several months to 30 years in prison.
Last week, 13 of the men were found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Fifteen men were sentenced to varying terms. They will be under house arrest after serving their terms. Three were banned from traveling abroad. | |
| Posted by:Fred |