Saudi Iran spying trial mockery of justice: HRW

Human Rights Watch says Saudi Arabia's trial of 32 men for allegedly spying on behalf of Iran is a "mockery of justice" because it "has violated the basic due process rights of the defendants."

Saudi prosecutors are seeking death penalty against 25 of the 32 people which the kingdom has detained since 2013, Press TV reported.

The men are accused of spying for Iran but the charge sheet, which Human Rights Watch said it had reviewed, contains numerous allegations that do not resemble recognizable crimes.

According to the New York-based rights group, the defendants are accused of “supporting demonstrations,” “harming the reputation of the kingdom,” and attempting to “spread the Shia confession.”

The kingdom began trying the men in February 2016 at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh.

According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi authorities have not permitted the defendants to meet with lawyers or provided all of the court documents necessary to prepare a defense after more than three years of detention and investigation.

“This trial is shaping up as another stain on Saudi Arabia’s grossly unfair criminal justice system,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East director.

“Criminal trials should not be merely legal ‘window-dressing’ where the verdict has been decided beforehand,” she said.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants include 30 Saudis, and one Iranian and one Afghan citizen.

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