JEDDAH, 26 January 2008 — Persons found guilty of running websites in support of terrorist organizations will be jailed for 10 years and fined SR5 million, according to a new law that has been passed by the Cabinet to combat information technology crimes.
The law, which has 16 articles, also states that persons who illegally take others’ money or obtain bank and credit data will be jailed for three years and fined SR2 million. Persons who attack others’ private life using mobile phone cameras and the like and try to defame them will be sentenced to one year and SR500,000.
Those who use information technology to spread and market pornography face up to five years in jail and a SR3 million fine. Those who produce and distribute IT material that violate public law, religious values and public etiquette will also receive the same punishment.
Explaining the information technology crimes, the law states: “Any work that was carried out using computers or the Internet, in violation of the rules and regulations mentioned in this law.”
“We have already started implementing the law,” said a source at the Interior Ministry. “This law is significant as it was introduced to combat IT-related crimes that threatens security and safety of human societies.” “Those who establish websites for terrorist organizations on the Internet or in a computer in order to facilitate contacts with their leaders or members or promote their thoughts and finances or publish data on how to make explosives or any other materials used for terrorist operations will be sentenced to jail for up to 10 years and SR5 million fine,” the law said.
According to the law, those who eavesdrops to email messages or other messages sent through computer will be sentenced to a maximum of one year and fined up to SR500,000. Those who threaten or blackmail a person as well as hackers who enter into others’ websites to change their designs and destroy or change data will also receive the same punishment. “Those who enter a website to destroy or change or leak or publish information will be sentenced to jail for up to four years and fined up to three million riyals,” the law stated.
The new law will also impose the same punishment for anyone caught tampering with computer systems or destroying computers to obstruct access to data within.
People who encourage others to commit IT crimes will get the same punishment received by those who committed them; they will get half of the punishment if it is to show that they exhibited intent to commit the crime through their actions, even if the crime didn’t take place.
The new law will support the Kingdom’s successful anti-terror campaign that has yielded fruits with the number of terrorist attacks in the country dwindling to zero last year and its well-trained security forces knocking at every militant hideouts in their bid to wipe out terrorism.
Saudi Arabia has been successful in tracking down a number of terror cells during the past years. Interior Minister Prince Naif said Saudi security forces had foiled 95 percent of terrorist attacks planned by militants. A total of 58 police officers have fallen as martyrs in these anti-terror operations.
