July 6, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5,1424

RIYADH, July 5: Iranian judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi began a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday when the issue of Saudi captives in Iran, suspected of having links with Al Qaeda, is expected to be among the subjects to be discussed between the two parties.

The Al-Arabiya Arabic news channel has claimed that senior Al Qaeda leaders, including Ayman Al-Zahrawi, the right hand man of Osama bin Laden and Suleiman Abu Ghaith, spokesman of the group, were among the captives in Iran. It has also been reported that a son of Osama bin Laden, whose name was not identified, is also in Iranian custody.

Iranian officials have denied the Al-Arabiya news report saying the captives are still under an identification process and it would take some time before their identities are established.