RIYADH – A Saudi court has jailed 28 men for security offenses including material support to wanted Islamist militants, aiding terrorism and helping young men go to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to fight.

The conservative kingdom has sentenced thousands of its citizens to prison terms for similar offenses over the past decade.

The Saudi government has issued stern new penalties for fighting abroad or supporting groups it considers extremist.

The detentions have angered some conservative Saudis, who fear they are being targeted for their religious beliefs, as well as among liberals who say the accused have not been given fair trials. The government denies such allegations.

A group of 13 men were sentenced on Wednesday to between three and 14 years in prison. Among them were nine Saudi citizens, two Jordanians, an Egyptian and a Syrian, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

They were convicted of owning material that glorified al-Qaeda, money laundering, and involvement in weapons training in militant camps, SPA reported, without giving details on where these were located.

A second group of 15 men were sentenced to jail terms of between 11 months and 16 years in prison on Thursday for the same offenses.