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Saudi Court Sentences 15 Men to Death for Spying for Iran

06 December 2016 17:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Saudi court on Tuesday sentenced 15 men to death and others to prison for allegedly spying for regional arch-rival Iran, APA reports quoting The Wall Street Journal.

The Riyadh court sentenced 32 people accused of belonging to a spy ring in a trial that human rights activists and lawyers have criticized. The defendants were detained for up to three years before the trial started and had limited access to lawyers. All but one were Shiite Muslims, the majority faith of Iran, but the minority religion in Saudi Arabia where most people are Sunni Muslims.

The verdicts, which lawyers have a month to appeal, could intensify tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who are waging a battle for influence across the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran in January, after a mob stormed its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad to protest Saudi Arabia’s execution of prominent Shiite cleric and activist Nemer al-Nemer.

Those sentenced to death Tuesday were all Saudi citizens found guilty of treason, according to state television and lawyers briefed on the verdict. Two other people, including an Afghan citizen, were acquitted. The others accused, among them one Iranian, were given prison terms lasting between six months and 25 years.

There was no immediate reaction from Iran on the outcome of the trial, which began in February. Iranian officials didn’t respond to requests for comment, nor did a spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Justice.

A member of the legal team representing the defendants said the trial was unfair.

“From the start, us lawyers knew we were just there for show,” said Taha al Hajj, who was initially part of the team of defense lawyers but has since left Saudi Arabia out of concern he could also face prosecution. “It is clearly a political case.”

The defendants were charged with sharing sensitive information on Saudi Arabia’s military and economic matters with Iranian intelligence, according to a copy of the charge sheet. They also gathered details on Saudi Arabia’s minority Shiite community in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, it said.

Some were accused of spreading the Shiite faith, stoking sectarian tensions and hurting the kingdom’s reputation, among other allegations.

Further details of the verdicts, which were read aloud in court, remain unclear. The sentences will be appealed, and final verdicts are expected within three months, said Mr. Hajj, who was briefed by other lawyers in the case.

“The Iran spy trial was flawed from the beginning, with allegations that defendants did not have access to lawyers during interrogation and use of charges that do not resemble recognizable crimes,” said Adam Coogle, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, which has called the trial a “mockery of justice.”

A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that his country sought cooperation with all its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia. This was in response to questions about the recent oil-production cut agreed by OPEC, of which both countries are members.