JAFFA, Israel – Twenty-three Saudi women have been indicted for membership of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, Al Arabiya website reported on Tuesday.
The women were charged two months ago with pledging allegiance to IS and its self-declared caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and volunteered to give the organization “logistical” services – mainly to campaign on its behalf in the country.
One defendant was accused of tweeting anti-Saudi propaganda on behalf of al-Qaeda, saying the kingdom doesn’t abide by Sharia law.
Another defendant was accused of helping IS and al-Qaeda prisoners smuggle notes and letters out of jail.
Some of the women acted on behalf of their relatives who belonged to the jihadi groups, the prosecution said.
Al Arabiya is a state-sponsored media outlet, and the report may have been intended to fend off criticism of Riyadh for not doing enough to fight terrorism, and to show that the Kingdom clamps down on jihadi activities, to which it has also fallen victim.
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