JEDDAH: Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al-Mujib extended his thanks and appreciation to King Salman and the crown prince when he passed the long-sought anti-harassment law derived from the Islamic Shariah.
Al-Mujib said this step reflects the government’s eagerness to protect community members from shameful behaviors alien to Islamic teachings and proper moral values, and to instill moral integrity and virtues pursued by law and religion so as to promote security and reassurance and increase legal and cultural awareness about it among all segments of society.
Al-Mujib also hailed the work of the Ministry of Interior in quickly preparing and submitting an integrated draft law to provide security and social protection for all citizens and residents.
“There is a provision in the law to punish those who make false and malicious claims about harassment,” added Al-Mujib.
Al-Mujib noted that he had formed a working group to identify the anti-harassment law’s provisions and its implications, as well to determine the criminal description of acts sanctioned under the law, to identify the elements of the crime of harassment and to develop a mechanism to enforce the law and its goals.
“This law aims at combating the crime of harassment, preventing it, applying punishment against perpetrators and protecting the victims in order to safeguard the individual’s privacy, dignity and personal freedom which are guaranteed by Islamic law and regulations,” he added.
He pointed out that an intensive training program specialized in the mechanisms of dealing with issues of sexual harassment has been approved and will be launched within days in all branches of the office.
“The training program will introduce investigation procedures applied in harassment cases and standardizing working mechanisms to ensure optimal implementation of the system in various parliamentary departments,” Al-Mujib said.
