Released Saudi detainees repentant, says interrogator

Riyadh: The Saudi authorities have completed interrogation of 15 Saudi detainees, who had been released from Guantanamo and handed over to the kingdom last month.

The Intellectual Counselling Committee, formed by the Interior Ministry, has started counselling sessions for the detainees.

The committee held its first meeting with the detainees, who are being held at Hair prison near Riyadh, last Saturday.

Dr Mohammad Al Nujaimi, a member of the committee, said that the detainees' response was highly positive, and that they expressed their repentance over their past deeds.

"None of them seems to be still keeping their deviant thoughts and extremist views. However, one of them is suffering from serious psychic problems," he said. "We started the first phase of counselling, and it will be followed by the next phases of discussions and dialogues to clear doubts and deviant thoughts".

Dr Mohammad Al Nujaimi said that all the nine Saudi detainees, except two, who were first handed over from US authorities have been released and they are leading a normal life. Two of them are serving one-year jail terms.

The counselling committee comprises more than 100 Islamic scholars, preachers and academics, who specialise in Shariah and Islamic ideology, in addition to some 30 psychologists and sociologists.

It is under the supervision of Ministry of Interior in coordination with Ministry of Islamic Affairs.