Saudi puts 32 on trial for Iran spying

riyadh — Saudi Arabia has put 32 people on trial, accused of spying for Iran, several local newspapers and television reported on Monday. The 32, including an Iranian and an Afghan, were detained in 2013.

The trial is the first in recent memory for Saudis accused of spying and may stoke sectarian tensions in the country and with Iran, which strongly denied the accusations at the time. The bitter rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has aggravated wars and political struggles in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain and is regarded by many analysts as a cause of regional instability.

Tensions escalated further in January when Riyadh broke off diplomatic ties following the storming of its Tehran embassy by protesters angered at Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shia cleric convicted of involvement in the killing of policemen.

Riyadh’s Bureau of Public Prosecution presented the charges against the 32 on Sunday at the Specialised Criminal Court, which tries security offences, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya channel reported.

The charges included establishing a spy ring with members of Iranian intelligence and passing them sensitive military information, seeking to sabotage Saudi economic interests, undermining community cohesion and inciting sectarian strife. —