Manama: A court in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday sentenced two men for supporting armed conflicts abroad and planning to join fighters despite a strict ban by the local authorities.
A third man was also jailed for his role in assisting and covering up for the two men.
According to the case papers, the first defendant had coordinated the travel of several people to join zones of armed conflicts. One of the people he assisted was killed while fighting, the court heard. Other charges against him included giving SR5,000 (Dh4,897) to a Saudi youth to help him leave the kingdom and fight abroad and covering up for other young men planning to go to conflict zones. The court found him guilty as charged and sentenced him to six years in jail and banned him from travelling for another six years.
The second defendant was also found guilty of raising SR32,000 from the sale of his care and from his income and planning to travel to Afghanistan to donate the money to fighters there. He was also charged with failing to report a group of young Saudi men who had planned to join war zones and become involved in the fighting. The criminal court sentenced him to four years in prison and ordered the confiscation of the money he intended to take to Afghanistan.
He was also banned from travelling abroad for four years following the jail term. The third defendant was sentenced to 18 months for covering up for the two men, not reporting their illegal plans and activities and for driving them to a public station ahead of their travel abroad. Both the defendants and the public prosecutor appealed the sentences.
In February King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud issued a royal order imposing prison terms of three to 20 years on any Saudi who travels overseas to fight.
Saudi institutions and media have been highlighting the significance of avoiding any form of physical or financial involvement in any conflict abroad. Several media have named and denounced religious figures who have been inciting young Saudi men to go to Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan to fight.
