Britain declined to comment on a report that two Britons...
Britain declined to comment on a report that two Britons had been secretly sentenced to 18 years in jail for alleged involvement in a fatal bombing campaign in Saudi Arabia
Britain declined to comment on a report that two Britons had been secretly sentenced to 18 years in jail for alleged involvement in a fatal bombing campaign in Saudi Arabia.
The Britons are part of a group of seven men, including a Canadian and a Belgian, held in connection with an anti-western bombing campaign that killed a Briton and an American.
"We remain deeply concerned about the men's situation," the Foreign Office said. "But there is still an ongoing judicial process and we, the majority of the men's families and their lawyers, continue to believe that it is not in the best interest of the men to raise their profiles publicly."
The Guardian newspaper said James Lee was sentenced in October 2001 and James Cottle was convicted and sentenced in February. The Daily Mail said a third Briton, Sandy Mitchell, had been sentenced to death for involvement in the fatal bombing in 2000.
The Guardian said news of the Britons' plight emerged this week when British officials told the men's relatives. The newspaper said it appeared Saudi Arabia only informed the Foreign Office of the sentences earlier in April.
It added that it remained unclear whether the men had been informed of their fate.
The report said Saudi lawyers for the men had issued a statement saying they planned to submit evidence of appeal to the Saudi supreme judicial council after meeting with the Saudi chief justice, but they pointed out that the final decision lay with the executive decision of Saudi King Fahd.
The Guardian said Lee's conviction came a month after Prime Minister Tony Blair sent two personal envoys to Riyadh to plea for the men's release.
"In what amounts to a massive snub to the British government, it appears the Saudis only informed the Foreign Office of the sentences at the beginning of this month," it added.
The Foreign Office said: "We continue to work vigorously to resolve the cases and continue to raise them regularly with the Saudi government. We also continue to make consular visits to the men."
The Britons are part of a group of seven men, including a Canadian and a Belgian, held in connection with an anti-western bombing campaign that killed a Briton and an American.
"We remain deeply concerned about the men's situation," the Foreign Office said. "But there is still an ongoing judicial process and we, the majority of the men's families and their lawyers, continue to believe that it is not in the best interest of the men to raise their profiles publicly."
The Guardian newspaper said James Lee was sentenced in October 2001 and James Cottle was convicted and sentenced in February. The Daily Mail said a third Briton, Sandy Mitchell, had been sentenced to death for involvement in the fatal bombing in 2000.
The Guardian said news of the Britons' plight emerged this week when British officials told the men's relatives. The newspaper said it appeared Saudi Arabia only informed the Foreign Office of the sentences earlier in April.
It added that it remained unclear whether the men had been informed of their fate.
The report said Saudi lawyers for the men had issued a statement saying they planned to submit evidence of appeal to the Saudi supreme judicial council after meeting with the Saudi chief justice, but they pointed out that the final decision lay with the executive decision of Saudi King Fahd.
The Guardian said Lee's conviction came a month after Prime Minister Tony Blair sent two personal envoys to Riyadh to plea for the men's release.
"In what amounts to a massive snub to the British government, it appears the Saudis only informed the Foreign Office of the sentences at the beginning of this month," it added.
The Foreign Office said: "We continue to work vigorously to resolve the cases and continue to raise them regularly with the Saudi government. We also continue to make consular visits to the men."
— SOURCES
- (Sources: REUTERS, 27/04/2002)