Arrests at Saudi reformers' trial

Overt public dissent is rare in the conservative desert kingdom

Saudi police have arrested nine people who tried to attend the trial of three reform campaigners, witnesses say.

The nine include two journalists and relatives of the trio. Diplomats were among others wanting to attend who were barred from the court.

The trial went ahead behind closed doors at the Riyadh courthouse, despite earlier reports suggesting it would be open to the public.

Judges decided to send the case which began in August to a lower court.

Ali al-Demaini, Matruq al-Faleh and Abdullah al-Hamed are accused of campaigning for political change and a constitutional monarchy.

They are also charged with collecting signatures for a petition demanding change.

The trio were among about a dozen activists arrested in March. Most were freed after pledging to stop pro-reform activities. Overt public dissent is rare in conservative Saudi Arabia.

In October, a judge adjourned the trial of the three reform campaigners after they refused to answer questions because the hearing was being held in secret.

The son of one of the accused said they had to be taken by force into the courtroom on Wednesday and did not speak once in court because they insist on a public hearing.

Commitment to reform?

Security forces cordoned off all entries to the courthouse and dozens of people were pushed away from the main courtyard under threat of force, the French news agency AFP reported.

It quoted one unnamed Western diplomat who was refused entry to the courthouse as saying: "It is disappointing to see people wanting to attend the hearing get arrested.

"If they [government] then close the trial to the public, arrest lawyers and [detain] people who simply want to attend... that undermines the credibility of the government's commitment to reform," the diplomat said.

Those detained included journalists working for two newspapers - the Saudi Gazette and al-Madinah.

The Gazette's editor-in-chief, Dr Ahmed Al-Yusuf, deplored the arrests, noting that the incident occurred despite recent official pronouncements of more freedom of the press through objective coverage.

The head of the Saudi Human Rights First Association, which is not officially recognised, claimed police had over-reacted.

There has been no official word from the Saudi authorities on the arrests.