Jeddah, September 03: The Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia can waive 15 per cent of a convicted prisoners’ jail term in addition to previous concessions if they have completed an educational and vocational training programme inside prison and does not pose a security threat on release.
The previous law allowed the minister to release prisoners once they completed three quarters of their punishment on condition that their conduct is good and the release does not pose a threat to public security.
The Council of Ministers on Monday authorised the interior minister to the purpose. They further said the behaviour of prisoners looking for early release should exude confidence, and that they should have spent at least nine months in jail and paid all financial dues related to his or her crime.
‘‘If it was proved that the prisoners’ behaviour had become bad, then the interior minister will have the authority to send the prisoner back to jail to complete his full term, the Cabinet said. The meeting was chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Social Affairs Minister Yousuf Al Othaimeen thanked King Abdullah for passing the new law, and said the Cabinet decision would help improve the conduct and behaviour of prisoners, rehabilitating them into society as upright citizens. He urged prisoners to make use of the concessions given by the government, including a previous decision that allows them to halve their jail term if they memorise the Holy Quran completely.
The Cabinet reiterated that Saudi Arabia would continue its campaign against terrorists with the support of its security forces and people.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said the Cabinet adopted a number of other decisions. It decided to allow the workers recruited by the Islamic Development Bank for the implementation of its sacrificial meat utilisation programme to perform Haj on the basis of certain regulations.
The Cabinet also approved the monetary union agreement of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which was endorsed by the GCC summit on December 30, 2008. It also ratified an agreement with the United States for scientific and technological cooperation that was signed in Riyadh on December 2, 2008 as well as a memorandum of understanding signed with Qatar on December 16, 2008.
The Cabinet appointed Talal bin Muhammad Abdussalam, Faisal bin Hamid Mualla, Samir bin Mahmoud Aqqad and Nasser bin Aid Al Joaid as ministers plenipotentiary at the Foreign Ministry, and Othman bin Abdullah Al Thabit, educational consultant at the Ministry of Higher Education.
-Agencies