Ahmad Abdullah Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Nine men accused of terrorist offences told the Special Penal Court in Jeddah that they objected to the presence of reporters at the court on Monday. Reporters covering two separate trials involving the defendants were not impartial, the court heard. The men were identified as Defendant Nos. 32, 34, 37, 41 and 50 in a trial involving the so-called “Cell of 50" and Defendant Nos. 1, 7, 9 and 10 in a trial involving the so-called “Cell of 29". Judges at both trials reminded journalists to be neutral in their coverage. They said it was the right of any defendant who notices any bias in their coverage to file a lawsuit against them. The judges also told the defendants that these were open hearings and it was impossible to evict reporters. The lawyer representing both groups of men was absent from court, so the judge adjourned the hearings to a future date. Forty-seven of the defendants in the Cell of 50 trial are Saudi nationals, two are Syrians and one is Yemeni. The charges against the defendants include conspiring with members of Al-Qaeda to blow up Al-Mohaya housing compound in Riyadh and the Public Security building in Al-Washem District in Riyadh, killing an American resident, planning to kill a number of security officers, bombing the Vinyl housing compound, another housing compound in western Riyadh, one of the housing compounds in the Eastern Province, and the American and British embassies in Riyadh. They also allegedly planned to assassinate a senior government official and a number of high-ranking security officers. They are accused of firing at security officers, impersonating security officers and traveling to regions of unrest. The court also looked into charges leveled against the four defendants in the Cell of 29 trial. They included adopting the Kharijite doctrine, adopting the Takfiri ideology (deeming other Muslims as infidels), disobeying the government and calling for and taking action to topple the government. They allegedly killed innocent people whether they were Muslims or non-Muslims living in the Kingdom, destroyed people's wealth and properties, blew up housing compounds and government buildings and killed security officers. Other charges against them included joining Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, meeting with Al-Qaeda commanders, opposing internal state policy on combating terror and issuing edicts that contradicted those issued by recognized scholars on matters concerning society. Defendant No. 27 was accused of supporting Al-Qaeda, sheltering several Al-Qaeda members and providing cover for members of the terrorist organization. There were nine charges against Defendant No.28 including glorifying Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and proving shelter and cover for wanted terrorists.
