The retrial of the four defendants comes after the Supreme Court in Riyadh rejected the previous sentences.

Security sources in Saudi Arabia reported on Tuesday that 4 suspects affiliated to al-Qaeda have gone on trial, accused of plotting to assassinate the late Saudi King Abdullah.

The retrial of the four defendants comes after the Supreme Court in Riyadh rejected the previous sentences.

The court accused the first person with 41 charges, including adopting a takfiri approach violating the Sunnah and being associated to one of al-Qaeda terrorist leaders.

The second has been charged with adopting a takfiri approach, offending the Saudi government and embracing al-Qaeda’s terrorist ideology by believing that it was right to support terrorist operations inside and outside the Kingdom. He was also accused of participating in the planning of the assassination of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz during his visit to the Qassim region.

The trial was attended by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism at the United Nations.

The Saudi Kingdom has been able to overcome the escalation of al-Qaeda’s attacks for ten years but has endured several bloody attacks on mosques and security forces undertaken by ISIS.

King Abdullah died of natural causes in January 2015 and was succeeded by his brother Salman.

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