RIYADH, 14 October — A conflict has arisen between the two Saudi defense lawyers representing six Westerners in prison here after being arrested in connection with a series of bomb blasts in Riyadh.
After Salah Al-Hujeilan, one of the lawyers, placed the blame for the attacks squarely at the door of Al-Qaeda, Ahmad Al-Tuwaijeri, the second lawyer, said Hujeilan’s statement was baseless and a violation of the agreement signed by both of them when they jointly decided to defend six of the seven Western suspects allegedly involved in the blasts, which rocked the Saudi capital in late 2001 and early 2002.
“There is an agreement between myself and Mr. Hujeilan that he should not make any press statement without my prior agreement and certainly should not make any statements that complicate the case,” Tuwaijeri told Arab News.
“I was surprised to find out that Hujeilan has issued a statement without informing me,” Tuwaijeri said about his colleague’s comments, which were picked up by international news agencies and many newspapers.
He also denied another of Hujeilan’s comments, that there had been a deal between the Saudi judicial authorities and one of the suspects.
“This is just not true. I have noticed Hujeilan making these kind of statements without thinking about the consequences. Saying Al-Qaeda is involved amounts to a false accusation and is a big mistake. I am offended by the statement,” Tuwaijeri said.
He reiterated his confidence in the independence and fairness of the Kingdom’s judicial system.
By bringing Al-Qaeda into the picture, Hujeilan was trying to confuse public opinion and clear the name of his clients, he added.
