ARREST OF SAUDI "REFORMERS"

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 000497 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (WALKER, SHUKAN, JACHIM) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2027 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PTER KTFN KDEM PHUM SA SUBJECT: ARREST OF SAUDI "REFORMERS" REF: 2007 CIA WASHINGTON DC 256307 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S//NF) SUMMARY: On February 2-3, the SAG internal security service (Mabahith) arrested ten men in Jeddah on the suspicion that they were collecting donations illegally and distributing them to unspecified "suspicious" persons (reftel). The Mabahith initially charged these individuals with violating fundraising laws after closely monitoring their activities during Hajj 2006. According to the Mabahith, the group may also be charged at a later date with financing illegal activities. The Mabahith alleged that unspecified members of the group provided support to Sunni insurgent groups in Iraq, namely the Jaysh Al-Mujahidin in Iraq. However, the SAG has not yet provided any evidence to us that specifically links these individuals to the crime with which they have been charged. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (S//NF) Seven of the ten arrested individuals are known political "reformers." One of these "reformers" has been implicated in terrorist financing by individuals detained by the SAG in January-February 2007. Another of the "reformers" also has suspected links to terrorist financing, but there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the claim at this time. There is no information at this time regarding the other five "reformers." The remaining three detainees in the group of ten are relatively unknown in either reform or terrorist circles. The Mabahith alleged that several, unspecified members of this group attended the funeral of Usama bin Ladin,s brother-in-law, Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, on the day of their arrest. The Mabahith said that they believe they have sufficient evidence to convict the first four individuals listed below (reftel). ¶3. (SBU) The media and human rights organizations widely reported that this group of "reformers" had been arrested on dubious charges of terrorist financing in order to obfuscate the SAG,s primary goal of silencing these reform advocates. Public reaction to the arrests has been skeptical. On February 5, Human Rights First Society (HRFS) posted a statement on Arab Net for Human Rights asking that the SAG enforce its own penal code by officially charging the ten men, allowing visits by relatives, and providing a court hearing within a specified period. The Arab Committee for Human Rights demanded the immediate release of the ten men. Also on February 5, Amnesty International (AI) protested the SAG holding the ten men incommunicado because it believed that they were detained solely for peaceful defense of human rights. AI claimed that the men may be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. ¶4. (S//NF) On February 15, 80 Saudi and other Arab human rights activists, with support from the Arab Human Rights Organization, the Arab European Dialogue, and the International Justice Organization, issued a statement condemning the arrests and demanding proof of the detainees, guilt. The statement was broadcast on al-Jazeera and published on websites with an anti-Saudi editorial slant. Discussions on these and other websites that operate outside the control of the SAG expressed a similar level of incredulity with the SAG,s claims against these detainees. ¶5. (S//NF) HRFS President Ibrahim Al-Mugaiteeb (strictly protect) told Poloff that he finds it difficult to believe that all of the 10 men were involved in raising funds for terrorism. He called on the SAG to publicly charge and try the accused 10 men. Al-Mugaiteeb believed that 5 of the 10 had been mischarged (i.e., al-Khariji,al-Rashudi, Basrawi, al-Shumaymari, and al-Sharif) in part because at least some of them are considered "leftists." He said that Basrawi is a "communist" and not at all religious. Al-Mugaiteeb would not vouch for al-Hashimi. In fact, he said that he has heard that al-Hashimi has ties to Hamas. Al-Mugaiteeb said he did not know al-Qarni. Al-Mugaiteeb opined that the known reformers might have raised money for causes that had not been fully explained to them or that they did not fully understand. Al-Mugaiteeb pointed out that al-Hashimi and al-Qarni had been organizing the February 2, 2007, petition to the King which is demanding justice and consultation, reform of the Interior Ministry, an independent judiciary, public participation in decision-making including an elected RIYADH 00000497 002 OF 003 house of representatives, freedom of speech, redistribution of wealth and income, and increased accountability. Al-Mugaiteeb opined that the MoI might be using these arrests to scare reformers, especially those calling for reform of the MoI. ¶6. (S//NF) The names of the individuals arrested are: ¶1. Sa'ud Hasan Muhammad Mukhtar al-Hashimi - a Saudi national and signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy. He was implicated in terrorist financing by individuals detained in January 2007. He is suspected of supporting mujahidin going to Iraq (reftel). ¶2. 'Abd al-'Aziz Sulayman al-Khariji - a Saudi national, businessman, and signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy. He has suspected, but as yet unsubstantiated, links to terrorist financing. (NOTE: Al-Khariji's name did not appear on the publicly available list of signatories for the December 2003 petition. END NOTE). ¶3. Sulayman Ibrahim Salih al-Rashudi - a Saudi national; founding member of the unofficial NGO HRFS; former judge; lawyer; signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy; arrested for signing the December 2003 but released in March 2004 after signing a statement promising to desist from further reform activities; signatory of a March 2004 petition calling for changes to the Saudi system of government; and signatory to a February 2, 2007, petition. ¶4. Musa Muhammad al-Qarni - a Saudi national; former professor of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence at the Islamic University in Medina; lawyer; signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy; arrested for signing the December 2003 but released in March 2004 after signing a statement promising to desist from further reform activities; and signatory to a February 2, 2007, petition. (NOTE: The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) claimed that Al-Qarni is "the legal ideologue of Al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Ladin. END NOTE). ¶5. 'Isam Hasan Zayn Basrawi - a Saudi national; confined to a wheelchair; lawyer and legal consultant; prominent activist; signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy; and arrested for signing the December 2003 but released in March 2004 after signing a statement promising to desist from further reform activities. Basrawi was suffering from complications due to his old age and was taken to an unspecified hospital in Jeddah ¶6. 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdallah Farhan al-Shumaymari - a Saudi national; professor of education; signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy; and arrested for signing the December 2003 but released in March 2004 after signing a statement promising to desist from further reform activities. ¶7. Sayf al-Din Faysal Muhsin aal Ghalib al-Sharif - a Saudi national; signatory to a December 2003 petition demanding a constitutional monarchy; and signatory of a March 2004 petition calling for changes to the Saudi system of government. (NOTE: Al-Sharif's name did not appear on the publicly available list of signatories for the December 2003 petition. END NOTE). ¶8. Fahd Muhammad Hasin al-Sakhri al-Qarshi - a Saudi national. ¶9. 'Abd al-Rahman Sadiq 'Abd al-Rahman Mu'min Khan - a Saudi national. ¶10. Al-Husayn al-Hasan al-Sadiqi - a Moroccan national and personal assistant to Basrawi (e.g., helps Basrawi in and out of wheelchair). ¶7. (S//NF) COMMENT: Post has insufficient evidence at this time to either substantiate or refute claims that the SAG arrested the entire group for its reform activities, as opposed to the illegal fundraising activities with which they have been charged. While some of these individuals are actively engaged in pro-reform efforts, it does not RIYADH 00000497 003 OF 003 necessarily preclude them, either ideologically or practically, from engaging in terrorist funding activities. In fact, some who advocate constitutional reform consider Saudi Arabia too liberal and would use such reforms to impose an even stricter, more conservative Islamic condition. Given the lack of substantive information at this time, Post recommends refraining from making any public statements regarding this case until further details can be obtained. Post will continue to engage with the SAG on this issue and report developments as further information becomes available. END COMMENT. OBERWETTER