Saudi defence lawyers appealed to King Fahd to free...

Saudi defence lawyers appealed to King Fahd to free five Britons and a Canadian convicted of planting a car bomb that killed a Briton in November 2000. Lawyers Salah al-Hujailan and Ahmad al-Tuwaijri said in a statement that after developments in the case, including a new witness, they believed that continuing on the same legal course "may not be appropriate." "Based on the desire of our clients, their families and ambassadors, the team decided to appeal to king Fahd to take their conditions into account," and release them after the period they spent in jail, the statement said. Sandy Mitchell, 44, from Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, and Glasgow-born Canadian William Sampson were sentenced to death and faced public beheading. The Saudi government said the blasts targeted westerners involved in a multi-million dollar alcohol smuggling business.