Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – Defaming or slandering others on social media could be punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to SR3 million, legal experts warned. They said those who forward such messages or store them on their computers, laptops or mobile phones will also deemed to have broken the law. The experts, however, said the intention to hurt others had to be proved prior to charging anyone with committing such crimes. Lawyer Dr. Awad Al-Assaf, who was a former deputy governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), told the daily Al-Jazirah that those convicted of information crimes could be imprisoned, fined or both. He said information crimes include undermining government rules and regulations, ridiculing religious values and public ethics, threatening or slandering individuals or blackmail through the production, dissemination or storage of harmful material on the Internet, computers, laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices. It also includes defaming Islam or the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He said: “Anyone who prepares, stores, sends or resends such materials will be considered a criminal.” The expert said the intention to commit such an offense must be proved beyond doubt when investigating information crimes. He added: “It will then be left to the judge to rule according to the evidence provided by the public prosecutor.” Al-Assaf said anyone who thinks they may be a victim of an information crime should contact police or file a complaint to the Ministry of Interior via its website. He said the information law system has tried to strike a balance between society's right to benefit from modern technology and the individual's right to privacy. “The system also aims to safeguard the public interest, general ethics and values and the national economy.” Hussain Sindi, an expert in information crimes and a computer science teacher, said it was a lot easier to identify senders of slanderous messages on social media applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook than on Twitter and the BlackBerry Messenger service. “Some social media understand the concept of societal protection so they are always willing to cooperate with officials, while others are more concerned with the privacy of individuals.”
