JEDDAH: The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh on Tuesday sentenced a Saudi to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of participating in riots in 2012 by attending demonstrations and rallies contrary to public order in the city of Al-Awamiya in Qatif province.
The charges include repeating slogans hostile to the state in order to disturb the security, and inciting some of his relatives to these acts by sending and resending messages from his personal BlackBerry to all his addressees, including warning of the presence of security men in some places for fear of arrest.
He was also found guilty of confronting security authorities and threatening to carry out terrorist acts during the execution of a person sentenced to death in a security case; not informing police about his knowledge that one of his relatives and another person were trading arms without a license, and that his relative was carrying an unlicensed machine gun and gun.
The defendant declined to inform police about his knowledge that one of his relatives was communicating with others via the Zello application to follow the movements of security and foreign vehicles entering Al-Awamiyah to target the security forces. The defendant traveled to Iran and then entered Iraq and joined training camps where he was trained for three days to unpack and install weapons.
Among the charges were supporting terrorism by receiving the amount of SR1,500 ($400) from a relative before traveling to help him travel, and possession of a gun without a license in defense of himself after a group of masked people attempted to kidnap him.
Having taken into account the provisions of the regulations and instructions concerning the prosecution of juveniles, the Court sentenced the defendant to 15 years in prison starting from the date of arrest in this case.
The court also decided that his BlackBerry phone should be confiscated and that he should be prevented from traveling outside the Kingdom for a period similar to the prison sentence imposed after the end of the sentence and his release from prison.
15-year sentence for 2012 Qatif rioter who instigated violence and trained in Iraq
15-year sentence for 2012 Qatif rioter who instigated violence and trained in Iraq
Saudi, Ireland foreign ministers discuss Gaza developments in Brussels
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday met his Irish counterpart Micheal Martin in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to discuss developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip and the efforts made to solve the conflict.
During the meeting, they also discussed bilateral relations between their two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of a meeting of the ministerial committee, headed by Prince Faisal, which was assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit with the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
It also comes a day before Ireland, along with Spain and Norway, plan to make official their recognition of a Palestinian state.
Saudi industry minister begins official trip to Netherlands
- Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef’s visit seeks to strengthen ties in industrial, mining sectors
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef traveled to the Netherlands on Monday for an official visit with the objective of strengthening cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The visit aims to explore and expand joint investment opportunities between the two countries.
Alkhorayef is scheduled to meet with several Dutch ministers and senior government officials, along with key leaders from the private sector, to discuss collaboration in the industrial and mining sectors.
The minister’s itinerary will also include several visits to Dutch factories and companies operating within these sectors with the hopes of fostering collaborative ventures between private sector entities in both countries.
The visit underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to diversifying its economy and strengthening international ties, SPA added.
In 2023, the Kingdom’s non-oil exports to the Netherlands were valued at about SR2.6 billion ($706 million), while its non-oil imports from the Netherlands amounted to almost SR8.5 billion.
Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union praises Saudi Arabia’s ‘tremendous effort’ to support Palestinian cause
RIYADH: The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union has praised the “tremendous efforts of Saudi Arabia, led by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in supporting the Palestinian cause,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The AIPU released a final statement following the 36th Arab Parliamentary Union Conference, which ended on Monday in Algiers.
A Saudi delegation, headed by the chairman of the Shoura Council, Sheikh Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, took part in the conference alongside heads of parliaments and councils, and several regional and international organizations and institutions.
During its sessions, the conference discussed developments in the Palestinian issue and the current situation in the Arab region.
The statement also praised the Kingdom’s hosting of a number of Arab, Islamic and African summits to support the Palestinian cause and put an end to the aggression against the Palestinian people.
On Yemen, the statement stressed the importance of the initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom, which call for constructive dialogue to achieve sustainable peace and a comprehensive political solution.
The conference endorsed the recommendations of the political committee, “which highly praised the pivotal and leading role played by Saudi Arabia, which has never hesitated in its significant achievements, contributions, initiatives, and authentic Arab stances aimed at unifying Arab ranks and elevating the status of the Arab and Islamic nations in all international forums,” SPA said.
The conference also praised the Kingdom’s hosting of Sudanese talks in Jeddah between the two conflicting parties to consolidate a truce and reach a final ceasefire agreement to end the crisis in a way that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty and unity and enables it to restore its security and stability.
Saudi economy minister holds talks with UN, OPEC officials in Austria
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim on Monday met Executive Director of the UN Office in Vienna Ghada Waly in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
During the meeting, the two discussed “collaboration between the Kingdom and the UN on the Sustainable Development Goals and other topics of common interest,” the ministry said in a statement.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the minister’s visit to Austria to participate in the ninth session of the Saudi-Austrian Joint Committee.
Al-Ibrahim also met Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, president of the OPEC Fund for International Development, to explore the fund’s upcoming initiatives.
He also held talks with Austrian Minister of Labor and Economy Martin Kocher on strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, and the latest developments of joint interest.
The meetings were attended by the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Austria Abdullah Tawlah.
Kuwait emir receives Saudi minister of state
Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz and his accompanying delegation on Monday at Bayan Palace in Kuwait.
Prince Turki conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
They reviewed the strong fraternal relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them across various fields.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait Prince Sultan bin Saad bin Khalid and dignitaries from both sides.
