Saudi king pardons jailed reform activists

RIYADH - 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 organised a petition calling for the kingdom to move towards a constitutional monarchy.

Lahem, their lawyer, was arrested after publicising their appeal for help last year from then Crown Prince Abdullah.

It was the first amnesty by King Abdullah, who came to power last week after King Fahd died. Earlier on Monday, Abdullah, who has championed modest reform of the kingdom, pardoned several Libyans held over a suspected plot to assassinate him in 2003.

Zuair was jailed after voicing support for militant attacks in Saudi Arabia, which has been battling a two-year al Qaeda campaign of violence, activists said.

Saudi reformists welcomed the pardons but said more serious steps needed to be taken.

"We hope, God willing, that the coming days will shed light on more fundamental reform measures," said Mansour Nogaidan, a former Saudi jihadi who is now a prominent critic of the kingdom's religious and education institutions.

But, he added, it was also the norm in Saudi Arabia for new kings to issue amnesties.

Islamist lawyer Mohsen Awajy said the pardons did not mean that King Abdullah would take more serious reform steps, noting that he had been effectively ruling the kingdom for a decade, standing in for King Fahd after he suffered a stroke.

"We hope that reform will be taken more seriously and move faster, but we expect the pace to continue as it has been." Abdullah has previously instigated tentative political reforms including partial elections to municipal councils and a gradual expansion of the consultative Shura assembly.

- REUTERS