Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH - The Shoura Council approved on Monday the draft law to combat harassment. The much sought after anti-harassment law, consisting of eight articles, criminalizes harassment.

The Council session, chaired by its President Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh, approved the landmark draft law after discussing the report of the committee for social, family and youth affairs containing the provisions of the law.

The Ministry of Interior prepared the draft in line with a directive of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, according to Yahya Al-Samaan, assistant president of the Council.

Abdullah Al-Fouzan, chairman of the committee, read out the report after taking into consideration the views and opinions of Council members during the deliberations on the draft law before a voting on it.

It was pointed out that an unambiguous definition of harassment will help investigators take the right decision on complaints and impose suitable punishments on the perpetrators.

The King instructed the Ministry of Interior to enact the law after taking into account the massive negative impact of harassment on an individual, family and society as a whole, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The King’s directive also implies the necessity of criminalizing harassment and defining punishment so as to deter the occurrence of such crimes in society.

According to an earlier report in Okaz, the new law imprisons perpetrators for up to 15 years and fines reach SR 3 million.

The public prosecution will be in charge of dealing with investigations in the cases of harassment.