Article 26 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 26 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الثالث: الإجراءات
Article 26 makes the competent court decide all connected crimes charged against the accused if one of them is a crime under the Law, unless the case papers were separated before being filed with the court.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
إذا وقعت عدة جرائم يرتبط بعضها ببعض، وكانت إحداها جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام، فتتولى المحكمة المختصة، الفصل في جميع الجرائم الموجهة إلى المتهم، ما لم تفصل أوراق مستقلة لهذه الجرائم قبل رفعها إلى المحكمة.
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 26 explained in plain English
This article deals with the case of multiple connected crimes, that is, where a person is accused of several crimes that are connected to one another.
The rule is as follows:
- If one of these crimes is a crime under the Law,
- then the competent court (which under Article 1 is the Specialized Criminal Court) decides all the crimes charged against the accused, even if some of them are not originally crimes under the Law.
- The exception: if separate case papers were opened for these crimes before they were filed with the court, this rule does not apply to them.
The purpose is for a single court to hear the connected case as a whole. It depends on two conditions: there must be a connection between the crimes, and their papers must not have been separated before filing. The article does not define the test for connection in detail.
The article follows Article 25, on judgment in absentia and retrial, and precedes Article 27, which allows the court to hear witnesses and experts apart from the accused and his lawyer. A person facing several charges in one case should consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
A person is accused of financing a terrorist entity, and in the same case he is charged with forging documents he used to transfer the funds. Because the two crimes are connected and one of them is a crime under the Law, the Specialized Criminal Court decides both charges together, unless the forgery papers were separated into an independent case before being filed with the court.
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 26 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Does the Specialized Criminal Court hear non-terrorism crimes?
Yes, if they are connected to a crime under the Law charged against the same accused, unless their papers were separated before being filed with the court.
When does the competent court not hear the connected crimes?
If separate papers were opened for these crimes before they were filed with the court.
More articles on Trial before the Specialized Criminal Court
- Article 16
Article 16 allows a person harmed by the accused or convicted in crimes under the Law to request compensation from the Head of State Security before going to court; a settlement committee decides within 90 days.
لمن أصابه ضرر من المتهمين أو المحكوم عليهم في جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام، أن يتقدم إلى رئيس أمن الدولة بطلب التعويض قبل التقدم إلى المحكمة المختصة
- Article 18
Article 18 gives the Public Prosecution jurisdiction to investigate crimes under the Law and to file and pursue the criminal case before the competent court.
تختص النيابة العامة بالتحقيق في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام وإقامة الدعوى الجزائية ومباشرتها أمام المحكمة المختصة.
- Article 23
Article 23 provides that investigation and the criminal case in crimes under the Law do not depend on a complaint by the victim, and a private claimant may bring his claim after the investigation of the public right ends.
لا تتوقف إجراءات التحقيق أو إقامة الدعوى الجزائية في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام أو الجرائم المرتبطة بها على شكوى المجني عليه، أو من ينوب عنه، أو وارثه من ب
- Article 24
Article 24 sets out what the Specialized Criminal Court decides: crimes under the Law, annulment and compensation claims, and requests to enforce foreign judgments, along with the routes of appeal and objection.
تتولى المحكمة المختصة الفصل في أي مما يأتي: 1- الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام. 2- دعاوى إلغاء القرارات ودعاوى التعويض المتعلقة بتطبيق أحكام النظام. 3- طلبات تن
- Article 25
Article 25 allows the court to issue a judgment in absentia against an accused of a crime under the Law if he was notified through the means of notification or an official media outlet, and he is retried upon arrest or appearance.
تصدر المحكمة حكمًا غيابيًّا في حق المتهم بارتكاب جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام إذا تم التبليغ من المحكمة عن طريق وسائل التبليغ أو إحدى وسائل الإعلام
- Article 27
Article 27 allows the court to hear witnesses and experts apart from the accused and his lawyer while informing them of the testimony without revealing identity, requires their protection, and lets the court's president allow filming of sessions.
1- للمحكمة المختصة -عند الاقتضاء- مناقشة الخبراء وسماع الشهود بمعزل عن المتهم ومحاميه ويبلغ المتهم أو محاميه بما تضمنته الشهادة وتقرير الخبرة دون الكشف عن هوية
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.