He said their photos should also be published in the Arabic press and their names translated into English. The pair was also sentenced to four years in jail and 300 lashes.
Residents said publicizing such criminals alongside other punishments would be very effective in preventing crimes.
Fifty-nine percent of 610 people surveyed in an opinion poll on the issue said they wanted the names and photos of criminals published in newspapers so that it would serve as an effective deterrent. However, 34 percent of participants did not agree while 7 percent did not have any clear stand on the matter.
"The publication of criminals’ names is not a new idea. In 1987, Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif issued an order to publish the names of drug traffickers," Saudi lawyer Abdullah bin Saleh told Arab News.
He said the Saudi government implemented the law of publishing the names of distributors of counterfeit automobile spare parts in addition to fining them.
About seven years ago the Ministry of Health started publishing names of those who committed medical errors. The names of terrorists and fraudsters are also being published.
Legal experts also maintain that the publishing of such criminals’ names would be an effective tool in the battle against corruption and organized crime. The publishing of names also conforms with an Islamic stipulation that a punishment should be witnessed by people.
According to a paper prepared by Judge Nassir bin Dawood, publication of names of fraudsters serves as a warning to other members of society to be cautious when dealing with them in the future.
However, he wanted utmost care in permitting names to be published, because unlike other forms of punishment, such a label may affect the reputation of a convict's family for generations.
