Know them by the company they keep, redux

The spread of democracy continues apace, as the Daily Star (Lebanon) reveals.

Riyadh, May 16 (AFP) - A Riyadh court jailed three Saudi reformers accused of seeking a constitutional monarchy for between six and nine years Sunday, in a case that has cast a shadow over tentative reform moves. ...

The three were convicted of "stirring up sedition and disobeying the ruler"

as well as being accused of "using Western terminology" in demanding reforms and questioning the king's role as head of the judiciary. They had been in jail since their arrest in March, 2004.

Relatives and reporters were chased away from the precincts of the court by a senior police officer as lawyers and representatives of the trio went into the courtroom Sunday.

Judge Mohammad bin Khnain also barred two representatives of the Saudi National Human Rights Association (NHRA), Saleh al-Khathlan and Mofleh al-Qahtani, from the nearly four-hour hearing.

Nine others who were also arrested last year were released after pledging most sincerely to be good citizens and keep their mouths shut from now on.

In a letter to Shrub, Human Rights Watch said

all charges against the three should be dropped and that their lead lawyer, who was arrested in early November, should also be released and the charges against him dropped.

The White House did not confirm that the issue was raised by Bush during his meeting with Abdullah.

Probably not: I doubt he could squeeze it in, what with all the reminiscing about oil deals and whatnot.