Saudi Arabia begins trial of two alleged Israeli spies
Two men accused of entering kingdom with fake Jordanian passports, gathering information for Mossad and plotting terror attack
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A court in Saudi Arabia on Monday began the trial of two men accused of spying for Israel.
According to an indictment filed at the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh, a non-Sharia court that tries suspected terrorists and human rights activists, the two are accused of entering the kingdom on Jordanian passports under false names and remaining in Saudi Arabia after their visas expired, Saudi-based Al Arabiya reported.
In addition to being accused of gathering information for the Mossad, they were also charged with planning to carry out a terror attack during the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2014.
They were also charged with supporting a terror organization and misleading authorities during the investigation.
The prosecution called for them to receive a strict punishment to deter others in the future.
No further details were given in the report.
Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official relations and the kingdom does not recognize the Jewish state.
Israel has hinted at clandestine ties with Saudi Arabia in recent years, stressing that the two countries share an interest in countering Iran. The rumors of covert relations have been denied by Saudi officials. Still, a Saudi general visited Jerusalem in 2016 and met with Israeli lawmakers, and Saudi officials have met with Israeli officials on several occasions in public.
Saudi Arabia also allowed Air India to begin flying to and from Tel Aviv via its airspace last month.
The Times of Israel Community.