Manama: Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor has called for the death penalty for two suspects as the trial of a 14-member terror cell opened in the capital Riyadh.
The 14 suspects, 12 Saudis, one Sudanese and one Syrian, faced 25 charges that included the murder of two security officers, attempts to target high-ranking police officers and security personnel at checkpoints, embracing the takfiri ideology (accusing others of apostasy), making and possessing Molotov cocktails and training for making and using bombs and improvised explosive devices to carry out acts of terrorism.
Other charges cited by the public prosecutor were pledging alliance to the Daesh terror group, contacts with Daesh members in Syria and in Saudi Arabia, disseminating videos promoting terrorism, harbouring terrorists and giving money to Daesh supporters.
Some of the accused were also charged with setting up social media accounts to attack Saudi Arabia.
The public prosecutor asked that the two lead suspects be put to death while the others be sent to jail for long periods of time. The suspects should also be made to pay the maximum fines stipulated in the law, he added.
Saudi Arabia has been actively engaged in a relentless fight against terrorism and last week, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz reiterated the kingdom’s “full commitment to combating terror.”
King Salman said in an address at the beginning of Ramadan: “When terrorism spread out across the world, the kingdom continued to use all its means, political weight and international prestige to combat extremism and terrorism, and to emphasise in all international forums that they are not part of any religion or culture,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has also been, through alliances with peaceloving countries, confronting anything that attempts to rob the world of its security and stability, he added, citing the establishment of the first centre to fight extremist ideologies and to promote coexistence among peoples.
