This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia

A new trial was supposed to start today [Feb 4, 2013] for Saudi Political and Civil Rights Association (ACPRA) co-founder Dr Abdulkareem al-Khudr. Two of the association's co-founders, Dr Abdullah al-Hamid and Dr Mohammad al-Qahtani, have been already under trial and contentious weekly interrogation for over the previous six months. al-Khudr is the author of several papers making the case for political and civil rights from an Islamic prospective, contradicting the state's official positions.

The trial was supposed to take place in Buraidah, where al-Khudr lives, which is about 300 kilometers from the capital Riyadh. Tens of activists, including al-Hamid and al-Qahtani, headed there since the early morning to attend the trial, but they were told that the judge did not attend.

Dr al-Khudr (right) outside the court building. via @alajmi01

In a video filmed outside the court building, al-Qahtani said [ar]:

أنا أعلمك بالهدف. الهدف هو أنهم يعرفون أن الناس سيأتون للمحاكمة اليوم ولذلك فهم يريدون إلغاء المحاكمة حتى لا يأتون الناس المرة القادمة. سنأتي وسنأتي وسنأتي.

I will tell you what their goal is. Their goal, knowing that people are going to attend the hearing session today, is to cancel the session so people do not attend next time. We will attend. We will attend. We will attend.

This post is part of our Special Coverage: Reformists on Trial in Saudi Arabia