Kuwait Times

Published Date: May 21, 2007
By A Saleh, Staff Writer

KUWAIT:  Saudi authorities released five Kuwaiti nationals 10 days after detaining them in the holy city of Madinah for distributing audiotapes yesterday. Security sources said that after arriving in Kuwait on Saturday night, the five underwent further security investigation until noon yesterday, adding they could be summoned at any time for further questioning. However, the sources underlined that the five returnees did not belong to any terrorist group or organization. They said that the tapes the pilgrims were distributing did not include terror ideologies or concepts, but dealt with the propagation of Islam, discipline and etiquette. Kuwaiti security authorities were also awaiting the results of the investigations conducted by Saudi authorities.
The state-run KUNA news agency quoted Kuwaiti ambassador in Riyadh Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Sabah as saying that the release came after a meeting between the leaders of the two Gulf Arab states last week. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah met with Saudi king Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on Tuesday during a consultative summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in Riyadh. It was reported that the detained men included four police officers and they had gone to Madinah after performing umrah, or minor pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah.