Saudi Gazette report

Beijing — Saudi Arabia will establish a permanent committee to promote international judicial cooperation, Saudi Attorney General Saud Al-Muajeb has announced.

Al-Muajeb was addressing the 22nd conference of the International Association of Prosecutors in Beijing. The four-day conference concluded on Thursday.

He said the permanent committee will coordinate with the competent government authorities and implement requests for mutual legal assistance relating to criminal matters.

The Kingdom has signed judicial cooperation agreements with a view to enhance international judicial cooperation, facilitate and speed up procedures, exchange information, and provide international advice on how to apply for judicial cooperation.

Al-Muajeb, who was appointed attorney General of the Public Prosecution in June this year, explained that the establishment of this committee was a response from Saudi Arabia to the requirements of international conventions, especially the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption.

He pointed out that the Kingdom has handed over 91 wanted persons of different nationalities to countries that are bound by bilateral, regional and international agreements, indicating that those are wanted or accused of terrorism, murder, forgery, cyber-crimes, fraud and breach of trust.

The Kingdom applied in 2016-2015 the principle of reciprocity and international courtesy with countries with which it has no judicial cooperation agreements by extraditing to many countries 14 people accused of crimes related to terrorism, forgery, theft, and murder.