Saudi king pardons jailed reform activists

[Eugene]

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-08T204726Z_01_N08355735_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-SAUDI-REFORMISTS-PARDON-DC.XML

Saudi king pardons jailed reform activists
Mon Aug 8, 2005 4:47 PM ET

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's newly installed King Abdullah
pardoned five activists on Monday, including three sentenced to up to
nine years in jail for calling for political reforms in the absolute
monarchy, state television said.

The sentencing of the three had been met with rare public criticism of
Saudi Arabia by Washington, which has pushed for democratic reform in
the Middle East.

"Interior Minister Prince Nayef announced that King Abdullah has
pardoned and ordered the release of prisoners Abdullah al-Hamed,
Matruk al-Faleh, Ali al-Dumaini and Saeed ibn Zuair and the release of
detained Abdulrahman al-Lahem," state television said.

Hamed, Matruk and Dumaini were sentenced in May on charges including
trying to sow dissent. A Saudi court last month upheld the jail
sentences of six to nine years.

The men -- two university lecturers and a poet -- had organized a
petition calling for the kingdom to move toward a constitutional
monarchy.

More: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-08-08T204726Z_01_N08355735_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-SAUDI-REFORMISTS-PARDON-DC.XML

[SteppingRazor]

1. This is pure publicity. They'll just be arrested again...

The next time they call for reforms.