Those found guilty of violating Haj permit regulations could face fines and travel restrictions, according to informed sources at the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP). Anyone caught at checkpoints trying to sneak into Makkah illegally would be charged with defying the ruler's instructions, said the sources. They would be referred by the BIP to the Shariah courts in their hometowns. Salih Mesfir Al-Ghamdi, a former member of the BIP, said judges would consider the circumstances under which the violation took place. Penalties include violators signing an undertaking never to repeat the offense, being issued an official reproach, paying fines or being banned from traveling. Violators will not be imprisoned or face lashes, he added. Saad Al-Maliki, a lawyer, said judges could issue suspended sentences. Repeat offenders, who were previously given suspended sentences, could be punished for the previous and current offenses. He said legislation was sorely needed to define violations and punishments, rather than leaving it up to the discretion of a judge. __
