Saudi Arabia announces crimes requiring arrest

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has issued a list of 25 major crimes to be classified as arrestable offenses.

The crimes requiring arrest under the Law on Criminal Procedure were decided upon by Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mua’jab following agreement with the Ministry of Interior and the Presidency of State Security, Okaz newspaper reported on Friday.

They include types of border crimes, intentional or semi-intentional homicide, offenses against national security, and those punishable by imprisonment for more than three years.

The ruling also covered embezzlement of public, company, and institutional funds, financial fraud exceeding SR20,000 ($5,332), and certain deliberate assaults.

Attacks on parents, trespass with the intention of murder, indecent assault, or theft, gang crimes, the stealing of cars, and prostitution-related activities were specified too.

Other crimes requiring arrest included the selling, manufacture, smuggling, or possession of intoxicants, including Khat/Kat, for the purpose of promotion or trading, and traffic accidents where the driver was under the influence of intoxicants, narcotics, or psychotropic substances that resulted in death or certain injuries.

Assaulting a security officer and damaging their official vehicle or equipment, using a firearm in a public place, blackmail, kidnapping or detention, and kinds of commercial fraud were also covered.