Three Saudi reformers were sentenced to imprisonment

A court in Riyadh issued imprisonment sentences ranging between six to nine years on three Saudi reformers who demanded the introduction of constitutional changes in Saudi Arabia.

Thereby the curtains were drawn on a trial which lasted for almost 9 months during which Riyadh was exposed to western criticism over its reaction to the calls for political reforms.

In close door session, the court punished each of Ali al-Dameini for nine year imprisonment, Abdullah al-Hamid for 7 years and Matrouk al-Faleh for six years after they were found guilty over "provoking sectarianism and violating loyalty to the King." The three convicted persons were among a group of 12 activists who were arrested on March 16, 2004 and later nine of them were freed after they vowed to abstain from launching open call for reforms.

All these men were part of a group of 116 persons who filed a petition in December 2003 to the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz in which they had called for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy guaranteeing peopl' s participation through an elected parliament that recognizes the political, cultural, economic and social rights for citizens and to make a distinction between the three authorities.