ABHA — The new head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) has ordered an investigation into offensive videos and photos posted on social media against his predecessor, Al-Watan reported.
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sanad said if it was proven that some of the people who posted such material against Abdullatif Al-Asheikh were from the Haia, they would be brought in and disciplined.
Lawyer Hashim Kowshak said: “Insulting someone and offending him is not an Islamic trait.
“The matter is magnified when the victim is someone who pledged to serve the people and guide them on the right path.
“Al-Asheikh has every legal right to sue the offenders for tarnishing the reputation of a government worker.”
He added that penalty for spreading such videos and photos on social media varies based on the content of the material and the court's judgment.
Penalties could vary from lashes to imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to SR500,000, said Kowshak.
Lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Lahim said if it were proven that members of the Haia were responsible, their case would be forwarded to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.
He said: “The bureau is the right authority to deal with public lawsuits.
“Public lawsuits are cases opened to deal with an injustice in society or a government.
“The society and the government have the public right to be protected from these shared profanities.”
He added Al-Asheikh does have the personal right to sue the offenders under information privacy laws as they allegedly shared his contacts without permission and publicly tarnished his reputation.
Café closed down
Meanwhile, Riyadh Police closed down a café west of the capital for hanging a poster for free hot drinks in celebration for the ouster of Al-Asheikh, Al-Hayat reported.The café owner was criticized on social media for posting blasphemous and offensive tweets against the former Haia chief under the hashtag “Dismissal of Haia head”.
Riyadh Police spokesman Col. Fawaz Al-Mayman said he was not aware of the incident but the police are authorized to act against any offensive content whether it was posted on social media, and hung as poster on the street poles, cars, or walls.
Lawyer Abdulrahman Al-Mohliki clarified that the only violation the café owner committed is offering free beverages and discounts without the permission of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
“The campaign on social media against Asheikh began five months ago. However, it has gone out of control when people began calling him on his phone to curse him and yell at him. People have even published his phone number in tweets and videos without his permission and that is a violation of his privacy,” said Al-Mohliki.
