Saudi court upholds verdict against Bin Laden group in Makkah tragedy

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has upheld the verdict of a lower court against the Saudi Bin Laden Group and officials in the Makkah Grand Mosque crane crash case.

The Makkah Criminal Court of Appeal in February 2023 issued fines amounting to SR20 million (R101m) on the Saudi Binladin Group after convicting the group of negligence and violation of safety rules in the tragedy.

According to Saudi Gazette, the court also sentenced eight directors, heads of departments, executives, and engineers to three years in prison.

It acquitted three engineers and supervisors of the charges, and suspended the trial of another defendant following his death.

Tragedy

The Supreme Court’s final verdict comes nearly eight years after the Haram crane crash.

The tragedy which happened on Friday, 11 September 2015, days before the annual Hajj, claimed the lives of 110 people and injured another 209 otehrs when a crane involved in the Haram expansion project crashed in the eastern courtyard of the Grand Mosque.

The crash also caused material damage to the Grand Mosque structure. The reason of the crash was initially attributed to downward winds with a speed of 80 km per hour.

While upholding the Criminal Court of Appeal’s verdict, the Supreme Court also found the Saudi Binladin Group guilty of violating the list of safety rules and means of protection that must be followed in construction sites,

This included the necessity of applying the technical safety rules required to be observed for the safety of cranes.

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Previous court rulings

In a previous verdict on 1 October 2017, the Makkah criminal court acquitted all 13 accused after it ruled that the disaster was not caused by human error but by heavy rain and lightning.

In December 2020, the Makkah Criminal Court for the third timer acquitted all 13 accused in the case, including the Saudi bin Laden group.

On August 4, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the Makkah Criminal Court acquitting all the accused in the case. The accused were acquitted three times stating that nothing new was found.

With the final verdict, the case is now closed.

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