New Saudi courts 'show Al Qaida was defeated'

Dubai: Saudi Arabia's decision to establish special courts to prosecute terror suspects allegedly involved in attacks since 2003, demonstrates the government's confidence that Al Qaida has been largely defeated in the Arabian peninsula, analysts say.

Christopher Boucek, research associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explains in an article published by the Arab Reform Bulletin that the government has reduced terrorism in the kingdom to an internal threat and now aims to delegitmise radicals through prosecution.

"Efforts to confront and delegitimise violent, radical ideology will prove to be critical long-term strategies in the struggle against terrorism in the kingdom," he says.

While rumours about the special courts have been circulating for a few years, it seems officials have confirmed the establishment of the courts in July.

These courts will lead to a big reorganisation of the Saudi legal system, Boucek explains.

Currently, suspects charged with security offences appear before the Riyadh judiciary as part of regular civil and criminal cases.

'No system'

"No system exists to organise cases by offence, nor are special security provisions made for the appearance of terrorism-related defendants in a civilian court," he writes.

The only exception to this is for Saudi detainees released from Guantanamo Bay, he explained.

According to Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef, the special courts will be introduced to manage a serious backlog of terrorism cases in Saudi Arabia. Reports estimate that roughly 3,200 suspects have been detained on security charges, Boucek writes.

Among the cases to be prosecuted are the 2003 Al Olaya compound attack and the 2004 bombing of the traffic police headquarters.

Justice Minister Dr Abdullah Aal Al Shaikh has called for the first trials to be held in Riyadh, in specially built high-security facilities.

Other facilities will be in Jeddah and Dammam. Boucek says the High Court is to select the judges for the new court from a regular pool of judges and the Interior Ministry will conduct special training sessions for them in understanding extremist ideology.

A three-judge panel will hear terror cases, and a five-judge panel will review their decision, Boucek explains.

Foreign observers could be present at hearings, some reports have indicated.

While lawyers will represent defendants, a problem will arise because of a shortage of judges and lawyers in Saudi Arabia, Boucek points out.

Refuting radicalism

In addition to dealing with the specific cases, Boucek says authorities also seek to put extremist ideologies on trial.

"The works of notable Islamic scholars such as Ibn Tamiyya will be drawn upon to refute religious and doctrinal deviations adopted by extremists in the kingdom," Boucek says.

The courts will also play an important role in Saudi Arabia's self-described war of ideas, Boucek explains.

Only last week Wednesday, police arrested five people who allegedly used the internet to propogate extremism and encourage youths to fight in "troubled areas".