Committees to take decisions on violations committed by the media

Abdul Aziz Al-Aqeel, Assistant Undersecretary for Internal Media at the Ministry of Culture and Information, has said that the ministry has 1,800 pending cases against the media and other publications.
The cases include complaints against online publications, individuals and establishments, besides the print media, Al-Aqeel said.
“Anyone who is harmed by the media or other publications has the right to complain to the newly set up committees, which enjoy independent legal status,” the official said.
He added that these committees would begin hearings on the cases that were left behind by an earlier committee from next Saturday.
Any complaints against the media, including online publications, are to be handled by the new committees, which include three preliminary committees and an appeals committee. Each committee is set up with a judge, a ministry expert on media matters and another expert on legal matters.
These committees have been set up in line with the provisions of the 37th Article of the Printing and Publications Regulations with the status of independent legal courts.
Any decision by a preliminary committee will be valid and binding unless appealed, he said.
A preliminary committee decision does not need endorsement from the minister of culture and information, as it is not under the control of the ministry.
He called on all whose rights have been violated by the media to approach the committee.
The official also appealed to all media persons to adhere to the social values of the country and practice self-censorship.
He said a few of the editors of online publications committed errors out of ignorance to the regulations, as it is not likely that anyone would want to cause deliberate harm. The ministry considered self-censorship as ideal to avoid harming others, he added.
He said the ministry planned to organize workshops to spread a culture of publication awareness. The workshop will also help editors learn about the punishments prescribed to abusers of the media, Al-Hayat daily reported on Monday.
In the past, decisions on the part of a ministerial committee that had looked into the complaints about the media required approval from the information minister.
The new committees do not need the ministerial approval. In fact, the decisions of the new committees are binding and an appeal committee alone has the right to review them.