Sunday
Sep302012
Saudi Arabia Feature: The Trial of the Political Dissidents (Hill)
Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 9:43
Mohammad al-Qahtani interviewed after his trial this month
It was the first day of September, and inside the courtroom it was stiflingly hot.
On the tiled floor sat 65-year-old civil rights activist Abdullah al-Hamid. Waiting for his turn to defend himself, he fanned
himself with the document detailing his alleged crimes against the state.
In front of the judge sat 46-year-old Mohammad al-Qahtani, an American-educated economics professor who, together with al-Hamid, co-founded the Saudi Political and Civil Rights Association (ACPRA) in 2009.