Saudi King Pardons Four Jailed Activists

King Abdullah on Monday pardoned four prominent activists who had been jailed for criticizing the strict religious environment in Saudi Arabia and the slow pace of democratic reform.

A Saudi television anchor read a statement from Interior Minister Prince Nayif ibn Abdulaziz saying the king, who has pushed an unprecedented campaign toward democracy in the kingdom, had ordered the release of the four.

Also released was university professor Saeed bin Mubarak Zaeer, who compared Al Qaeda’s attacks on Western civilians to U.S. attacks that have killed Iraqi civilians and Israeli attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians. When he was detained last year, Saudi officials denounced his statements as supportive of terrorism.

The four activists released Monday were the last of 13 people arrested in March 2004 after signing a letter to Abdullah calling for political, economic and social reforms, including parliamentary elections.

Ali Dimeeni, a novelist, was serving nine years in prison; Abdullah Hamed, an academic, was serving seven years; and Matrouk Faleh, a writer, was serving six. Abdul-Rahman Lahem, an activist who was freed and then rearrested in November, was also pardoned.

“We applaud the bold move by King Abdullah and hope this will be a first step toward giving all the prisoners in Saudi jails without trial their fair chance of a fair and transparent trial and full access to legal advice,” said Ibrahim Mugaiteeb, who heads an independent Saudi rights group, Human Rights First.

He was referring to the hundreds of men rounded up in an aggressive anti-terrorism campaign that followed the attack on Western housing compounds in May 2003.

Abdullah also pardoned two Libyans who were believed to have been jailed for plotting to assassinate him.

The Saudi Press Agency said the men were allegedly involved in a plot to destabilize the kingdom, but it offered no details.

In December, Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador from Tripoli and asked the Libyan ambassador to leave Riyadh over the alleged plot.

Libya has repeatedly denied involvement.