Two sentenced in Qatif riot case

RIYADH: A court in the Eastern Province on Wednesday sentenced two men to prison terms over riots in the district of Qatif, a judicial source said.
The sentences were among verdicts issued by the court in the case of five men accused of rioting.
One defendant was sentenced to four months, but his release was ordered as he has already spent that long in custody, the source said, requesting anonymity.
The court jailed another to two months after he had been out on bail, the cases of two others were adjourned until Sunday, and a fifth was acquitted for lack of evidence, the source said.
“The prosecution protested the sentences and demanded they be toughened,” he added.
Those sentenced admitted taking part in protests and signed a pledge not to do so in future, the source said.
On Saturday, the court began the trials of an unspecified number of Shiites accused of taking part in illegal rallies and chanting anti-government slogans.