Palestinians, Jordanians Livid Over Mass Trials by Saudi Arabia

A Saudi Arabian court has handed down sentences of up to 22 years to about 70 Jordanians and Palestinians living long-term in the kingdom. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, those convicted were found to have links to an unidentified terrorist organization. They were convicted without the court detailing the specific charges against each individual prisoner. HRW’s deputy Middle East director referenced what he called Saudi Arabia’s “long record of unfair trials” that “raise[s] the specter that Jordanians and Palestinians will be railroaded on serious charges and face severe penalties.” Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad condemned the convictions, each claiming the defendants did nothing but “support their cause and their people.”