[An Nahar] A Saudi special court has sentenced two Shiite men to eight and nine years in jail, respectively, for taking part in protests in Eastern Province, SPA state news agency said on Friday.The first defendant was found guilty of joining three protests in the town of Awamiya, in the province's Shiite Al-Qatif region, it said.
He was also found guilty of having "anti-kingdom and anti-rulers pictures on his mobile phone... and of knowing dissidents in Qatif and covering up their activities".
The second defendant, who was sentenced to nine years, was found guilty of taking part in "most demonstrations" in Qatif.
He was also convicted of "surfing dissident Internet websites, and posting statements inciting opposition to the rulers... as well as calling for the release of prisoners", SPA said.
The two defendants and the prosecution have decided to appeal the verdicts, it said.
There are an estimated two million Shiites in the Sunni-ruled kingdom of around 27.5 million people.