Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – The Council of Ministers on Monday approved the draft penal law for terror crimes and their funding. The law gives an exact definition of terrorism and its funding and spells out the procedures that must be taken while dealing with a terror suspect, but ensuring human rights. The Cabinet session was chaired by Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, at Al-Yamama Palace here. Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session that the Cabinet took the decision after reviewing a report presented by the Interior Ministry and a decision of the Shoura Council in this regard. Provisions related to penalties for crimes such as terror financing, terrorist acts and terrorist organizations will be issued later. Provisions stipulated in the Anti-Money Laundering Act with regard to penalties for the above crimes will be applicable until issuance of these regulations. Referring to the salient features of the law, Dr. Khoja said, it will protect human rights as envisaged in the Islamic Shariah law. The minister said the penal law defines the meaning of terror crime as any act committed individually or collectively, directly or indirectly, aimed at disturbing public order or undermining the security of society and the stability of the State, in addition to endangering national unity or disabling the country's Basic Law or some of its Articles. The definition of crime also includes defaming the State or its status, causing damages to State's installations or natural resources, threatening or inciting to carry out actions leading to the aforementioned goals. Dr. Khoja said the penal law also specifies the procedures that must be taken and the guarantees that must be ensured while dealing with a suspect. Most prominent of these procedures and guarantees include authorization of the Interior Minister to stop proceedings to frame charges against those who initiate to report any one of the crimes specified in the law before its execution as well as those who cooperate with the competent authorities during the investigation to catch the perpetrators or others linked to a similar crime. The penal system also authorizes the Minister of Interior for the release of any detainee or one who was sentenced and serving his jail term. According to Dr. Khoja, the Cabinet approved the extension of fee concession relating to domestic workers for another three years. The Cabinet reviewed a report presented by the Minister of Interior in this regard, and decided to continue an earlier decision to the effect that the State would bear 50% of the fees for issuing passports, driving licenses, transfer of ownership, renewal of residence permits (iqama) of domestic workers for a period of another three years starting from Dec. 4 (Safar 1). The Cabinet decided that the government will bear the difference between the fee applied under the Common Customs Tariff of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the category of protection fee currently applied in the Kingdom so as the customs duty for goods described in the decision shall be identical to the customs tariff of the GCC Common Customs Tariff for a period of three years effective from Jan. 25 (Rabi Al-Awwal 24). Dr. Khoja said the Cabinet decided to approve the GCC veterinary pharmaceutical law, which was adopted by the 32nd session of the GCC Supreme Council held in Riyadh. According to the law, veterinary pharmaceutical companies and factories registered in the country and their veterinary warehouses are bound to provide their registered veterinary pharmaceuticals. These pharmaceuticals shall be registered under the competent authority in the State in accordance with the conditions and regulations prescribed by the law and its executive regulations.
