S Arabia frees woman held in protest on detentions

RIYADH, July 22 (Reuters) Saudi authorities today released a woman who led a rare protest over detentions without charge in Saudi Arabia's campaign against al Qaeda, but a prominent pro-democracy activist remained detained.

Abdullah al-Hamed and Rima al-Juraish were seized on Thursday in the town of Buraida north of Riyadh after security forces said they had found a secret weapons stash at Juraish's home.

Acquaintances said the weapons were planted by police.

Juraish was set free today with a warning not to contact any media, Islamist activist Khaled al-Omair told Reuters. ''They told her not to speak to anyone,'' he said.

Rights group Amnesty International had called for the release of the pair, saying there was reason to believe they were being held over ''peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression''.

Hamed was one of three reformers jailed in 2005 for organising a petition calling for Saudi Arabia, a US ally and the world's largest oil exporter, to be transformed from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional democracy.

King Abdullah pardoned the men later that year after he ascended to the throne of the vast desert kingdom, which has no political parties and bans street protests.

Hamed is the lawyer for Juraish's husband, one of 3,000 men the authorities admit are being held in detention without charge on suspicion of links to militants.

Al Qaeda-linked Islamists launched a campaign to bring down the monarchy in 2003, targeting government installations, foreigners and the oil industry.

Reuters RJ RN2322