Report: 5,000 Held in Saudi State Security Jails

Rasa - Following a string of recent arrests, the number of people languishing in Saudi state security prisons now stands at more than 5,000, according to a local media report.

News ID: 436712

Date: 05 March 2018 - 18:14

RNA - According to Saudi daily Okaz, detainees include 4,419 Saudi nationals, 68 Egyptians, 315 Yemenis, 204 Syrians, 18 Jordanians, 13 Bahrainis and five Iraqis, Anadolu Agency reported.

91 people of varying nationalities have been detained by the Saudi authorities within the past two months alone, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper went on to note that, since 1979, 841 “terrorist operations” had been carried out in the oil-rich Kingdom, while a total of 233 “terrorist plots” had been thwarted by the authorities.

More than 3,000 people -- including 333 security personnel -- had been killed in these operations, while 695 militants were killed by Saudi security forces, according to Okaz.

The Saudi authorities have yet to comment on the newspaper’s assertions.

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