Lawyers for the five Britons held in connection with...

Lawyers for the five Britons held in connection with anti-western bombings in Saudi Arabia lodged defence submissions with the supreme court in the kingdom. The men, who were part of the expatriate drinking scene in Riyadh, were arrested following a wave of bombings in the kingdom. Internal dissidents are widely believed to be responsible for the attacks. The Saudi authorities accused them of carrying out the bombings as part of a turf war over the illicit alcohol trade. An investigation by the Guardian earlier this year found this to be false, and uncovered evidence of torture and intimidation by Saudi officials investigating the explosions. Salah Al-Hejailan, one of the lawyers, said the arguments he had submitted to the court were "powerful and detailed". "We have asked for the immediate release of the men and compensation for the discomfort they have suffered," he said. "The men were subject to pressure and the confessions were dictated. The entire story is phoney. We expect a favourable outcome, perhaps within the next few weeks."