Saudi to enforce ‘out-of-prison’ penalties

Saudi Arabia is planning to enforce laws involving alternative punishment for offenders outside the prison, including fines, house confinement and charity work.

Defendants convicted in specific crimes could also pay SR1,000 (Dh1,000) a day to reduce their prison terms under the new law that has to be endorsed by the Shura council, the Gulf kingdom’s appointed parliament.

“The new law includes house confinement, conditional release of prisoners, charity work, fines, payment per each prison day, and other alternative penalties,” the Saudi daily ‘Al Hayat’ said, quoting judge Yasser Al Balwi.

Balwi said he had already issued alternative sentences against some defendants, including cleaning prisons, working at a medical centre, serving oil people at homes, and working at charity and humanitarian places.

He said he had also sentenced a man found guilty of insulting his father to ‘apologizing to him in front of a large crowd at a mosque’.

“I also ordered a defendant to memorize parts of the holy Quran to reduce his prison term…another defendant convicted in drug dealing was ordered to reveal the names of the smugglers he deals with in order to have his prison term reduced,” he said.

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