Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — Several Shoura Council members are of the opinion that certain authoritative bodies are standing in the way of sincere implementation of anti-harassment and blackmailing law. Anti-harassment and blackmailing law was proposed to the council in 2014. "Several Shoura Council members have noticed that certain authorities are purposefully hindering the progress of implementing the anti-harassment and blackmailing law. The rules and regulations of the law have not been discussed and not proposed again since January 2015," said a source. The source also said the specialized committee has drawn a comprehensive law that should not be hindered and should easily be normalized within the current legal system. "The law contains 17 articles. Article 13 states that harassers are to be imprisoned for no longer than five months and fined with a maximum of SR500,000. These penalties do not exempt the harasser from harsher religious and legal penalties. The harasser may be sentenced with both penalties or either one of them," said the source. The source also said the anti-harassment and blackmailing law defines harassment as a behavior insinuating a sexual intention caused by a person toward another person through physical contact or dishonoring behavior regardless of place and method. "The law also defines blackmailing as exploitation of a person by another through threats of exposure or dishonoring behavior to retaliate on the victim of the blackmailing or a relative of the victim," said the source. The source also said the law was proposed to protect integrity, dignity, freedom and honor of the individual as required by Islamic Shariah. "Under no circumstance is harassment tolerated in Saudi society. Even if the victim did not report harassment, the harasser will receive the penalty for his crime. The law also stated in Article 4 that harassment incidents must be reported," said the source. The source added the law protects the identity of the person reporting the incident whether he/she was the victim or not. "The law states that the identity of the person who reports the incident will only be revealed under his/her consent and if the investigation required such information. The law also stressed on prevention strategies by providing appropriate workplace environment according to the Islamic values," said the source. The source also said public and private sector work administrations must have a clear procedure to receive and act upon harassment reports. "The National Human Rights Society continues to put in place practical programs in cooperation with several partners and directorates to raise awareness of the rules and regulations of harassment and the danger it brings to society," said the source. He also said the law states that the victim of harassment and blackmailing or the person who reports the incident are not to be charged with any criminal offense. "The law states that police departments and other civil authorities must arrest harassers and treat them like criminals as they have committed crimes and they have broken the law," said the source.
