Washington hands over al-Sayegh to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Minister of the Interior Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz announced on Monday in Riyadh that the US authorities had handed over Saudi citizen Hani al-Sayegh, who is accused of being involved in the Khobar Towers explosion which targeted American soldiers in 1996, to the Saudi authorities.

He added, in reference to the request Riyadh submitted to the US administration to have al-Sayegh back, "Today, al-Sayegh was handed over to us. We do appreciate the US response to our request."

He continued, "We have information and evidence which prove al-Sayegh's involvement in the terrorist act in Khobar city three years ago."

The Saudi minister added that handing over the convict comes in the "course of cooperation with the US so as justice can take its due course."

On the next measures following the handing over of al-Sayegh, Prince Nayef said, "The convict is now in the hands of the Saudi justice and he will be investigated and tried like any other convict according to the Islamic Sharia."

The US Justice Department stressed that it had received assurances from the Saudi government that it would not torture al-Sayegh.