Saudis obtain ‘security’ extraditions
Saudi Arabia has obtained the extradition of 27 people wanted on a range of “security charges”, according to the Saudi news agency, SPA.
Riyadh, which is battling a wave of violence, said on Sunday it had obtained the extradition of 27 Saudis wanted on security-related charges.
“Twenty-seven Saudis wanted for security issues were handed over to the concerned security authorities by brotherly countries,” a government spokesman was quoted as telling the state news agency SPA .
No details were released about the extradition, but the spokesman said more information would be revealed “in due course”.
None of the “brotherly” countries has been named, neither has the nature of the agreements with these countries been mentioned.
No further information regarding this development has been issued.
Saudi Arabia has launched a massive crackdown against suspects blamed for a campaign of violence which has killed about 90 people and wounded hundreds since May 2003.
The announcement came days before the expiry of a one-month royal amnesty for alleged suspects to be pardoned.
Interior Minister Prince Nayif bin Abd Al-Aziz said last week the amnesty, issued on 23 June 2004 by King Fahd, would not be extended.
Four Saudi’s have accepted the offer, two of them in Iran and Syria.
Khalid bin Udai bin Muhammad al-Harbi accepted the amnesty on Tuesday at the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran and was then extradited to Riyadh.
Ibrahim al-Sadiq al-Kaidi al-Harbi accepted the amnesty at the Saudi mission in Damascus and returned to the kingdom on Saturday.
Thirteen people on the Saudi “26 most-wanted” list, issued in December, have not accepted the amnesty offer.