Saudi Arabia: Decree Lays Out Penalties for Fighting Abroad

King Abdullah issued a royal decree on Monday that punishes citizens who fight in conflicts outside the kingdom, with prison sentences ranging from three years to 20 years. The statement, issued by the Saudi Royal Court, also says any Saudi citizen who joins or aids terrorist groups would face five years to 30 years in jail. The decree appeared to be aimed at stemming the flow of Saudi fighters going to Syria. The region’s civil war is believed to have drawn hundreds of young Saudis, worrying some in the kingdom that fighters could return radicalized and turn their weapons on the monarchy. Many young Saudi men appear to have been encouraged to join the fight in Syria by influential Saudi clerics. The decree followed the start Sunday of a sweeping counterterrorism law that activists say criminalizes virtually any criticism of the government.