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Syrian Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Spying for Assad | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz attends the Summit of South American-Arab Countries, in Riyadh November 10, 2015. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser – RTS6CXU


Riyadh-The Specialized Criminal Court has sentenced a Syrian national to eight years in prison for being involved in spying activities in the Kingdom in favor of the hostile Syrian regime.

He was caught while working in a barber shop in Mecca west Saudi Arabia, where the Syrian resident conspired against the Kingdom by not disregarding what it provided from decent living, through spying for a terrorist regime.

The convict, 31, was found guilty of spying on the Syrian dissidents living in Saudi Arabia and passing on the information to pro-Damascus regime intelligence services.

He confessed publishing information related to the Syrian regime’s army and the events taking place in Syria, besides sharing videos and pictures of death and violence there on Facebook and also posting offensive remarks against the Kingdom, its rulers and its people.

In its verdict on Monday, the court said the eight-year sentence starts from the date he was arrested, including two years on the basis of article 6 of the Anti-Cyber Crime law.

The computer belonging to the defendant has been seized, according to article 13 of the Anti-Cyber Crime law, and the court issued and ordered to deport him after the end of his prison term.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabian security authorities are interrogating 146 Syrian residents, who have been arrested since 2011.

The arrested were convicted for being involved in security cases that affect national security. Other Syrians are being kept in the Saudi prisons and are waiting for the completion of regulations to be submitted to the Specialized Criminal Court.

It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabia has deterred intelligence spying operations in favor of countries opposing Riyadh as it arrested 30 Saudis, one

Iranian and one Afghani, who were recruited by agents from the Iranian intelligence.

Most of them have worked for the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh and its Consulate in Jeddah and are currently being trialed.