Saudi opposition member returns after two years in exile
Saudi Arabia, Politics, 12/27/2005

Saudi Arabian opposition member Abdul Aziz al-Shanbari returned back home, several day after he had announced his withdrawal from the Saudi opposition Islamic Movement For Reforms which takes London as a headquarter.

The Saudi dailies quoted one of al-Dhanbari brothers as saying that his brother regrets activities against the royal family in Saudi Arabia, which he had conducted during the two years he had spent in London. He also expressed regret over working with the al-Islah (Reform movement ) which he said had mislead people to promoting incorrect information.

The same source said that the Saudi authorities did not arrest or interrogate al-Shanbari upon his coming back to Jeddah on Monday, noting that his return back decision was personal and he had taken it through an experience he had made in which he discovered his mistake in working with a political movement damaging for the kingdom, as the source alleged.

Commenting on that, the spokesman for the Islamic Islah movement, Saad al-Faqih, said he will not be dragged into argument with a person that has become a puppet in the hands of what he described as enemies.

The statement indicated in a statement on its site on the Internet that it knows there is an understanding between al-Shanbari and the Saudi King to accept his demand to return back to the country, noting that among these demands is the approval of the government to release of detained members of his family and relatives and returning back their confiscated properties and assets and setting up a committee to deal with their affairs.

Worthy mentioning that the Islamic Movement For Reforms is one of the main Saudi opposition organizations. It was established in 1996 following differences within the human right defense committee which was an organization established in May 1993 by university graduates, and scholars who used to criticize the Saudi regime describing it as "corrupt and non- democratic." The movement stressed it fights for a "peaceful change." But it did not deplore the attacks and explosions that took lace in the kingdom since May 2003, carried out by members in the Saudi branch of al-Qaida organization.

Previous Stories:
  Six Saudi women nominated for chamber of commerce   (12/20/2005)
  Washington freezes assets of the opposition Saudi movement for reforms   (7/15/2005)
  On the three Saudi reformers imprisonment   (6/22/2005)

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