Article 24 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
المادة 24 من نظام الوقاية من متلازمة العوز المناعي المكتسب الإيدز وحقوق المصابين وواجباتهم
The article punishes a person who violates Articles 6, 16, 17, 18 and 21 with a fine of up to SAR 100,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both, preserving the injured person's right to compensation.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
دون إخلال بأي عقوبة أشد منصوص عليها في أنظمة أخرى، يعاقب كل من يخالف أحكام المواد (السادسة) و(السادسة عشرة) و(السابعة عشرة) و(الثامنة عشرة) و(الحادية والعشرين) من النظام؛ بغرامة لا تتجاوز مائة ألف ريال، أو بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على خمس سنوات، أو بكلتيهما، ولا يخل ذلك بحق المتضرر في المطالبة بالتعويض.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 24 explained in plain English
This article sets the most severe penalty in the Law, and concerns violation of five articles:
- Article 6: care for the pregnant infected woman and her fetus, and the prohibition on forcing her to abort or depriving her of custody or care of her children because of her infection.
- Article 16: confidentiality of the infected person's information, and the prohibition on disclosing it except in the cases set out in the Law.
- Article 17: notifying the infected spouse, their duty to notify the other party and sign an acknowledgment, and summoning the other party and contacts, testing them and assessing the position of those dealing with the infected.
- Article 18: the infected person's commitment to preventive guidance and not to deliberately transmit infection.
- Article 21: the prohibition on discrimination against infected persons, degrading their dignity, curtailing their rights or exploiting them because of their infection.
The penalty: one of the following, or both:
- A fine not exceeding SAR 100,000.
- Imprisonment for a period not exceeding 5 years.
Two restrictions:
- The penalty is without prejudice to any more severe penalty provided for in other regulations.
- This does not prejudice the injured person's right to claim compensation.
Comparison with Article 23: Article 23 punishes violation of Articles 4, 8, 9 and 14 with a fine not exceeding SAR 50,000 only, whereas this article sets a more severe penalty that includes imprisonment. Under Article 25, a committee formed by the Minister has jurisdiction over the violations of Article 23, but the violations of this article are not within that committee's jurisdiction.
Practical effect: the violation here may come from the infected person themselves, for example by breaching their duties in Articles 17 and 18, or from someone else, for example by disclosing the infected person's secret or discriminating against them. A person facing an accusation under this article, or harmed by its violation, would be well advised to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
A nurse at a hospital in Dammam posts the name and condition of a patient living with AIDS in a chat group. This act violates Article 16 and is punished under this article by a fine not exceeding SAR 100,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 5 years, or both, and the patient keeps the right to claim compensation.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 24 of the Saudi AIDS Prevention Law
What is the penalty for disclosing an AIDS patient's secret?
A fine not exceeding SAR 100,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 5 years, or both, for violating Article 16.
What is the penalty for deliberately transmitting AIDS infection?
Violating Article 18 by not committing to avoid deliberately transmitting infection is punished by the same penalty, without prejudice to any more severe penalty in other regulations.
Does the Ministry of Health's committee consider these violations?
No. Under Article 25, the committee has jurisdiction over violations of Articles 4, 8, 9 and 14 only.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 6
The article requires necessary health care for a pregnant woman living with the virus and her fetus, and bars forcing her to abort or depriving her of custody or care of her children because of her infection.
تقدم الرعاية الصحية اللازمة للمرأة الحامل المصابة ولجنينها, ولا يجوز إجبارها على الإجهاض أو حرمانها من حضانة أطفالها أو رعايتهم بسبب إصابتها.
- Article 16
The article obliges all workers in health bodies and others to keep confidential the information of the infected person, and bars disclosing it except in the cases the Law sets out.
على جميع العاملين في الجهات الصحية وغيرها المحافظة على سرية المعلومات الخاصة بالمصاب, ولا يجوز إفشاء هذه المعلومات إلا في الأحوال المبينة في النظام، وتحدد اللائ
- Article 17
The article requires a health body to notify an infected spouse, obliges that spouse to notify the other party and sign an acknowledgment of this, and requires the body to summon the other party and contacts, test them and assess the position of those dealing with the infected.
إذا ثبتت لدى جهة صحية إصابة أحد الزوجين، فعليها تبليغه بذلك، ويجب عليه تبليغ الطرف الآخر, والتوقيع على إقرار بذلك. وعلى الجهة الصحية استدعاء الطرف الآخر والمخال
- Article 18
The article binds a person living with AIDS to follow the preventive guidance set by the health bodies and not to deliberately transmit infection to others.
على المصاب أن يلتزم بالإرشادات الوقائية التي تقررها الجهات الصحية, وعليه الالتزام بعدم تعمد نقل العدوى إلى غيره.
- Article 21
The article bars any act or omission that constitutes discrimination against persons living with AIDS and leads to degrading their dignity, curtailing their rights or exploiting them because of their infection.
يحظر كل فعلٍ أو امتناعٍ يشكل تمييزاً ضد المصابين ويؤدي إلى الحط من كرامتهم أو الانتقاص من حقوقهم أو استغلالهم بسبب إصابتهم.
More articles on Penalties for Violating the AIDS Law
- Article 22
The article makes approving the persons nominated by the public health bodies to detect violations of the Law the responsibility of the Saudi Health Council.
يعتمد المجلس الصحي السعودي الأشخاص الذين ترشحهم الجهات الصحية العامة لمهمة ضبط مخالفات أحكام النظام.
- Article 23
The article punishes a person who violates Articles 4, 8, 9 and 14 with a fine not exceeding SAR 50,000, without prejudice to any more severe penalty in other regulations or to the injured person's right to compensation.
دون إخلال بأي عقوبة أشد منصوص عليها في أنظمة أخرى، يعاقب كل من يخالف أحكام المواد (الرابعة) و(الثامنة) و(التاسعة) و(الرابعة عشرة) من النظام؛ بغرامة لا تتجاوز خم
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.