• Terrorism: The attack on a Spanish show in Riyadh that left four injured was orchestrated by Al Qaeda from Yemen

Saudi justice has sentenced this Sunday to death a young Yemeni who stabbed four Spanish actors during a show last November in Riyadh , in the most serious attack since the launch of the cultural offer in the kingdom.

According to state television Al Ejbariya , the aggressor, of Yemeni nationality and 33 years old, was arrested with the knife he used for the attack. An alleged accomplice has been sentenced, in turn, to 12 years and six months in prison.

During the trial sessions, the main attacker acknowledged having received orders from an al Qaeda leader in the Arabian Peninsula , the most active branch of the network founded by Osama bin Laden who has his headquarters in Yemen . The testimony provided a twist to the version initially provided by the local authorities, who attributed the attack to an unbalanced.

"Before the attack, the man covered his face and read a harangue against the leisure authority of the kingdom," local media said, citing the criminal court where he is tried. Last November EL MUNDO advanced exclusively the Spanish nationality of the four wounded, members of a Malaga company responsible for several shows in the ultraconservative kingdom. "We had an incident with a person who was mentally unbalanced, police told us," company sources told this newspaper.

The aggression was recorded on November 11, in full function of a stunt work created by the Spanish company. "Around 8 p.m. Riyadh police arrested a 33-year-old Yemeni citizen after stabbing two men and a woman who were members of a theater group during a live show at King Abdullah Park in the district Malaz, in the center of the capital , "explained the Saudi police in a brief statement.

The four victims, who suffered "superficial wounds" and were treated at a hospital in the Saudi capital, are in perfect condition, company sources confirmed to this newspaper. The group concluded the performance at the end of November, framed within a cultural festival, and is already back in Spain.

The attacker used a knife to break into the stage and address the actors, who fled quickly. The young man was immobilized seconds later, as evidenced by the images that were disseminated. The Red Crescent , alerted to the incident, sent up to nine ambulances to the scene.

According to the judicial investigation, the authorities found evidence of the link between the aggressor - a Yemeni expatriate residing in the country - with the jihadist organization and evidence that "he participated directly in group activities in Yemen."

The attack on the Spanish company was the first time that a show suffered an assault since, after the brilliant rise of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the absolute monarchy promoted the return of cultural activities and launched an ambitious initiative to convert the leisure in one of the sectors of its economic diversification.

In early 2019, the authorities presented an entertainment offer that includes the celebration of " Sanfermines " or concerts of international groups, electronic sports competitions or the creation of theme parks in the desert. In total, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority has promised to invest up to $ 64 billion in leisure.

The details of the aggression -wrapped up until now in the most absolute mutism- arouse the fear of a violent reaction of the most recalcitrant sectors, alarmed by the rapid opening of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Wahhabism , a rigorous stream of Sunni Islam. In 1979 the Islamic revolution in Iran and the assault and the capture of the Great Mosque of Mecca by a group of Islamists led by Yuhaiman al Otaibi in protest of the "Westernization" of Saudi society, led the authorities to radicalize their positions . Some measures that the crown prince now tries to reverse.

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