The Shoura Council discussed yesterday military officers and civil servants who are in jail for breach of civil rights such as nonpayment of debt and traffic offenses.
The 35th session of the Shoura Council was presided over by its Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh.
The council took up the plight of the imprisoned military and public officers when the council's committee on administration and human resources tabled its report regarding the payment of salaries during their imprisonment.
According to Assistant Secretary-General of the Shoura Council Ahmed Al-Yahya, there was a division among members on the payment of salaries to jailed officers convicted of such offenses.
“Some of the members strongly felt that the jailed officers should make sure that they settle their debts when they receive their salary while in jail,” he said, pointing out that members in general suggested the necessity of the payment of salaries from a humanitarian point of view to look after the families of such convicts.
The discussions were put off to a further date by the council.
The house then welcomed the new Secretary-General of the Shoura Council Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Amro, who will succeed Muhammed Al-Ghamdi.
While expressing its congratulations on appointment of the incoming secretary-general, the house registered a vote of appreciation on the outgoing secretary-general in recognition of his services that made the functioning of the council smooth.
Al-Amro was appointed secretary-general of the Shoura Council by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah last week.
The house unanimously approved a draft agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom on the transfer of sentenced prisoners.
Subsequently, the council also approved a draft agreement between the Kingdom and France on the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Among the other matters approved by the council yesterday included a draft memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Red Crescent Authority and the Turkish Red Crescent Society, a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom and Austria on political consultations between the two countries’ ministries of foreign affairs and a draft agreement between the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan for cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
Meanwhile, a Shoura Council team headed by its member Abdulrahman Al-Anad met in Riyadh yesterday with members of a delegation comprising students from the US-based John Hopkins University.
According to Shoura Council sources, a delegation of the council’s Saudi-Georgian Parliamentary Friendship Committee will begin a visit to Georgia on Tuesday. The team will be led by Abdullah Al-Drees.
During the visit, the delegation will meet senior Georgian officials to review bilateral relations and enhance parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
Shoura divided on salaries to jailed officials
