By Ahmed Abdullah
Saudi Gazette


JEDDAH — Ten suspects of Makkah-based “Al-Khalidiya apartment” cell allegedly involved in terrorist activities were charged with various crimes as the trial of 88-member group began in the special penal court in Riyadh Sunday.

In June 2003, security personnel foiled “an imminent terrorist” attack with a raid on a bomb-filled, booby-trapped apartment in the holy city that left five suspects and two security agents dead.

At least five people were arrested in the raid, including two Chadians, an Egyptian and a Saudi, an Interior Ministry official was then quoted as saying. Several other suspects were also arrested later.

The “Al-Khalidiya apartment” cell consists of 72 Saudis, 8 Chadians, two Yemenis, and one each from Egypt, Palestine, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The charges leveled against ten defendants who appeared in the court Sunday include plotting to raid a prison in Jeddah governorate to release inmates detained in security cases, planning assassination of senior government officials, possession of inflammatory material to incite people, murdering a Saudi national and stealing his car, traveling to Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan to take part in fighting, forging travel documents, possessing firearms and explosives, funding and arming Al-Qaeda militants abroad.

Some of the defendants were also charged with poisoning the water tank of a residential compound housing foreigners, facilitating movement of wanted Al-Qaeda terrorists in the Kingdom and planning to murder a woman accused of providing information to Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

The defendants were provided with a copy of charges leveled against them.

The presiding judge also informed the defendants that they have a right to hire a lawyer. Defendants having no means to hire a lawyer would be provided one by the Ministry of Justice, the judge further informed the defendants.

According to the charge sheet, a defendant participated in the establishment of a training camp in Rabigh while another prepared a hit list of security men for assassination. Armed robberies were carried out with the aim of collecting funds to support Al-Qaeda. Another defendant was accused of disfiguring pictures of several senior government officials and publishing them on websites.