JEDDAH, 17 March 2007 — The National Society for Human Rights has urged the government to sign prisoner-transfer treaties with countries that have a large number of their nationals working in the Kingdom, according to Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar, president of the society.
He said the Council of Ministers has already authorized the interior minister to sign a GCC treaty on transfer of prisoners and the Shoura Council discussed the treaty last month to complete endorsement procedures. “The society, while praising the Interior Ministry for adopting this treaty, urges it to take the necessary legal procedures to sign more such treaties with other countries,” Hajjar told Arab News.
He said the treaty would allow foreigners who have served six months in a Saudi jail to complete the remaining period of the jail sentence in their countries.
He emphasized the need for signing such treaties with countries like India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Egypt that have large numbers nationals working in Saudi Arabia. There are about seven million foreign workers in the Kingdom and expatriates constitute more than 60 percent of inmates in some Saudi jails.
“The treaty allows an expatriate worker to ask the country where he is jailed to spend the jail term in his country on condition that the jail term or remaining term should be not less than six months at the time of applying,” he explained.
The application for such transfers can be made either by the prisoner, his legal agent or any close relative. The country where the man is jailed will bear the transfer expenditures.
Under the proposed treaty, prisoners who have outstanding fines or other financial obligations will not be eligible for transfer. However, they will benefit from general pardons declared by the ruler.
Hajjar said the treaty would help prisoners to spend the remainder of their jail term close to their families. “This will have a positive effect on the prisoner as well as his family,” he added.
Hajjar said the move would reduce the number of prisoners in Saudi jails and help authorities to improve conditions in jails. “It will also reduce financial and administrative costs in running prisons,” he pointed out.
He said the Shoura Council has already approved the GCC treaty on the issue. Once higher authorities approved the society’s proposal, the government has to reach similar treaties with other countries. “I am hopeful that the interior minister will take up the issue,” he added.
Hajjar said prisoners released on the basis of the treaty should complete their jail terms back home. “For example, if an expatriate worker is jailed for five years he has to spend the remaining four and a half years in his country,” he said.
Expatriates have welcomed the move, saying it would help them avail of judicial procedures back home. “I believe that it’s a very good move and hope the government will support it,” said Thomas Kaitharan, an Indian executive, who is associated with an organization named Nanma (Goodness).
