The Information Affairs Authority (IAA) denounced foreign media establishments’ description of the seven convicted of killing the two policemen as “protestors”.
“Those sentenced to death committed a heinous crime by killing security officers, as shown by their personal confessions, sound and image evidence and eye witnesses, which means that they were not “protestors” but criminals who have committed premeditated murder,” IAA in a statement said.
In a statement IAA said that describing criminals as “protestors” and giving the impression that they are peaceful individuals who have the right to protest doesn’t have anything to do with media credibility, ethics or professionalism.
IAA also asserted that the National Safety Court would remain committed to providing all judicial guarantees and requirements of a fair and just trial for the defendants in line with the kingdom’s laws and according to the human rights standards, adding that they were allowed to appoint lawyers Hassan Ridha, Ali Al Jabal, Jalila Al Sayad, Abdulhadi Al Qaidoum and Mohsen Al Shweikh to defend them since the beginning of the trial on April 4, 2011.
IAA also said that the court accepted the defence’s request to allow the suspects to be examined by forensic medicine and gave them ample time to prepare their pleadings and bring defence witnesses.
It also indicated that the Lower National Safety Court allowed representatives of local and foreign human rights organisations and media establishment, the defendants’ relatives and the suspects to attend the prosecution.
IAA renewed its keenness to cooperate fully with all media establishments, calling upon them to adhere to the media professional ethics and avoid paronomasia which serves no aim but disseminate the wrong information, distort reality and harm the kingdom’s image worldwide.