A Saudi Arabian court convicted 330 Al Qaeda members in a single trial, the Ministry of Justice reported.  The Saudi Press Agency said those convicted were on trial for belonging to a “deviant group” that was financing terrorism and threatening national security. 

A spokesman for the Bureau of Investigation and General Prosecution said, “A specialized criminal court has recently issued several preliminary verdicts in cases of defendants in Al Qaeda and state security terrorism crimes.” The trials were the first dealing with terrorism. 

Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia’s interior minister said the kingdom will put 991 suspected Al Qaeda members on trial for offenses that took place since the government crackdown on terrorism began in May 2003.  One of the convicted Al Qaeda members was sentenced to death, the others imprisoned or sentenced to house arrest.  The defendants are allowed to appeal.