JEDDAH: MD AL-SULAMI ARABNEWS

A terror suspect who issued fatwas supporting subversive activities was jailed for 15 years on Monday after a court rejected his appeal against his sentence.

Sulaiman Al-Alwan, nicknamed the “Al-Qaeda Mufti,” will only have to serve six years because he had already spent nine years in jail during his trial. He was out on bail at his home in the Mishal district in Buraidah when the decision was announced.

The government had charged Al-Alwan for crimes including moral and material support for Al-Qaeda operations in the Kingdom, and maintaining relations with notorious terrorist leaders abroad. He issued fatwas, or religious edicts, favoring those engaged in violent subversive activities such as assassinating security officers, civilians and non-Saudis working in the Kingdom.

His fatwas also incited people to flout royal orders and fight for Al-Qaeda in other countries. His edicts sanctioned support and shelter for terror fugitives and urged security officials to disobey orders from the Kingdom’s rulers. He was also charged with providing moral and material support to terrorist leaders abroad such as Abdu Musab Al-Zarqawi.
In a related development, two terror suspects were handed a total of three years in jail, 70 lashes, and a travel ban for four years after their release. The state had charged them with crimes including traveling to other countries to fight for terror organizations and encouraging other young people to do so. One was charged for being addicted to hashish.

Their computers contained banned material such as Osama Bin Laden’s videos, pictures of Al-Qaeda weapons and obscene images. The judge ordered the hashish user to receive 70 lashes in a single session for his addiction. His two years jail time included one year for possession of banned materials and six months for drug addiction. The other defendant received one year for his terror-related activities in the Kingdom.

SOURCE: ARABNEWS