Filming incidents of harassment and circulating them on video-sharing websites is a crime in itself rather than an act of documenting evidence, according to senior lawyers. They warned that sharing such video clips, even if done in good faith, could have deep psychological consequences on the harassed victim and his/her family. In fact, any person who circulates such clips could face imprisonment and be fined under the Anti-Cyber Crime Law and the Penal Code. Even the alleged harasser may sue the person who filmed him/her. The lawyers asserted that it may even be considered an act of defamation and an intent to cause damage to others, which is a crime punishable under the law. Moreover, it is not deemed to be a piece of conclusive evidence. On the contrary, it may attract the provisions of the law that pertain to circulating indecent videos. Some other lawyers have suggested that the ideal way to curb harassments is to strictly enforce the law against such acts. There should be strict penalties against violators to reduce this social nuisance, which in turn, will decrease the acts of filming and defaming on social media sites. The lawyers further advised people who film any incident of harassment to hand over the footage to the competent authorities for action rather than circulating them. In this way, the incident will first be verified before being made public. Such incidents may be reported to the security authorities by calling them or through the "We are all Secured" website of Public Security, Ministry of Interior. The website could even automatically locate the scene of the harassment. The complainant may also attach supporting files, such as photos, audiovisuals, videos, and audio tapes. The person who files the complaint will enjoy full anonymity though he is held accountable for whatever is detailed in the report. Meanwhile, a psychoanalyst has called for a law criminalizing acts of filming or taking photographs of any incident, whether involving harassment or any other behavior, as this amounts to defamation. Filming of such incidents does not end with the clip itself, but could have dire consequences as there are people who have been named and identified in the film. This is a breach of the Shariah law, the psychoanalyst said, advising people to approach the police with the videos rather than making them public. Besides, the victim's reputation could be severely damaged. For example, harassed children and their guardians could remain stigmatized. No one has the right to bring such disgrace to the victims even though the intention may have been only to disparage the act of harassment. A legal consultant has also warned against circulating such videos involving adults or children even if the intent is only to create awareness in society. Should the victim file a complaint, the photographer could attract penalties under the Paragraph 5, Article 3 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law that stipulates a maximum one-year imprisonment and a fine not exceeding SR 500 or both. The consultant further advised people who may witness an incident of harassment to try establish evidence and report it to the police so that the culprit is punished. He urged families and schools to intensify awareness programs among children on how to report such incidents to the concerned authorities, such as the police or the Commission for Promotion of the Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
