Deputy Minister of Interior Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz gave a press conference yesterday following a graduation ceremony at the Institute of Passports. He disclosed that the person behind the recent bombing incident near Jareer bookstore in Riyadh had been arrested, saying that an official statement will be issued in due time. He added that a link had not been ruled out between that explosion and those earlier, but declared that the incidents were most probably of a personal nature rather than the result of either organized crime or terrorism.

On other issues, Prince Ahmed confirmed the ongoing improvement of conditions in the Kingdom's prisons, and the impending issuance of identity cards for women. Responding to a question on the hijacked Russian plane, he said that no final decision had been taken, but that the hijackers are being tried in Saudi Arabia according to Shariah (Islamic Law). Concerning the Saudi airplane that was hijacked, he said it was hoped that the Iraqi authorities would extradite the hijackers. He described the hijacking of the Saudi airliner as an intolerable crime that was against both Shariah (Islamic Law) and international law.

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