Saudi Arabia :Prosecutor demands death for 13 suspects

The public prosecutor demanded the death sentence for 13 of the 85 defendants who are allegedly involved in bombing three residential compounds in Riyadh in 2003. Appearing at the special court trying the terror suspects, he accused a number of former Saudi security men of sedition and spying for Al Qaida. "They had misused their influence as security men through their involvement in the conspiracy with militants to target key military bases in Riyadh, Al Kharj and Khamees Mushayt. Hence, some of them should be awarded with death sentence," the prosecutor said. He also demanded that one of the defendants should be crucified considering the gravity of the crime he had committed. This was the first time charges have been made against some Saudi security men for supporting Al Qaida. The trial of the terror suspects allegedly involved in Riyadh terror bombings started last week. Article continues below The special court judge on Sunday ordered all members of the media to leave the courtroom in compliance with the wish of a defendant, who also charged that the trial was a sham. The militants belonged to a notorious cell named after Turki Al Dandani, who was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Jouf. The defendant said he opposed the presence of journalists because he blamed them for defamatory reports that he is a homosexual. The judge took the decision after consulting other judges. The special trial court examined the charges against 15 militants accused of involvement in the bombings of three compounds in east Riyadh and the plots to attack King Khaled Air Base in Khamis Mushayt and Prince Sultan Airbase in Al