Saudi authorities have indicted 991 suspected militants for participating in terrorist attacks carried out over the last five years, the interior minister said early yesterday.
The legal proceedings mark a significant step in the kingdom’s fight against terror. Authorities have been reluctant to resort to trials for terrorism charges that could result in death sentences until they had shown the public that every effort had been made to give the men a chance to repent.
“In the past few years, the kingdom has been the target of an organized terrorist campaign linked to networks of strife and sedition overseas,” Nayef said in his statement carried by the Saudi news agency.
“This campaign targeted the way of life, economy and principles of Saudi society and sought to create chaos,” he said. “It has direct links to a deviant group that adopts the [mindset] of al-Qaeda.”
The militants, he said, have been responsible for more than 30 attacks in the kingdom since May 2003, killing 164 people, including 74 security officials. They also have wounded 657 security officials and 439 civilians. Another 160 attacks were foiled.
The government fears a public backlash against its crackdown if it takes overly harsh measures against the militants and wants to avoid accusations that it is moving against them just to please the US.
Nayef said the militants’ actions have affected the reputation of Islam and charity work, “attaching the label of terrorism to Islam and Muslims.”
Nayef said that three tonnes of explosives had been seized from the militants, including RDX, C-4 and TNT varieties as well as over 25 tonnes of other highly explosive mixtures.
It was not clear from the statement whether the trials would start immediately or wait until December after the al-Adha feast, as reported in some newspapers.
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