Article 56 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
المادة 56 من نظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله · الفصل الرابع: العقوبات
Article 56 allows the court to mitigate the Law's penalties to no less than half the minimum prison term and fine if the offender took the initiative to report to the competent authorities information that could not have been obtained otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للمحكمة المختصة تخفيف العقوبات المنصوص عليها في النظام، على ألا تقل عقوبة السجن عن نصف الحد الأدنى المقرر لها، ولا تقل عقوبة الغرامة عن نصف الحد الأدنى المقرر لها، إذا بادر الجاني بإبلاغ أي من الجهات المختصة بمعلومات لم يكن من المستطاع الحصول عليها بطريق آخر، وذلك للمساعدة في أي مما يأتي:
1- منع ارتكاب أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام.
2- تحديد مرتكبي الجريمة الآخرين أو ملاحقتهم قضائياً.
3- الحصول على أدلة.
4- تجنب آثار الجريمة أو الحد منها.
5- حرمان الكيان الإرهابي أو الإرهابي من الحصول على أموال أو السيطرة عليها.
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 56 explained in plain English
This article gives an incentive to cooperate with the authorities. It allows the competent court, which under Article 1 is the Specialized Criminal Court, to mitigate the penalties set out in the Law, provided that:
- the imprisonment penalty is not less than half the minimum prescribed for it,
- the fine penalty is not less than half the minimum prescribed for it.
Conditions for mitigation:
- The offender must take the initiative to report to any of the competent authorities.
- The report must be of information that could not have been obtained by another route.
- This must be to help in any of the following: preventing the commission of any of the crimes under the Law, identifying or prosecuting the other perpetrators of the crime, obtaining evidence, avoiding or limiting the effects of the crime, or depriving the terrorist entity or terrorist of obtaining or controlling funds.
Mitigation is discretionary for the court ("the competent court may mitigate"), so the offender does not obtain it automatically merely by reporting. For example, if the minimum penalty for a crime is 10 years, it may be mitigated to no less than 5 years.
The article follows Article 55, which punishes concealment, and precedes Article 57, which allows the court to suspend execution of up to half of the prison term for a person who showed remorse and has no prior conviction in one of the crimes under the Law.
To assess whether he can benefit from this article, the accused should consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
A person took part in collecting funds for a terrorist entity, then took the initiative to report to the competent authorities the entity's accounts and the names of those who manage them. This information could not have been reached by another route, and it helped deprive the entity of the funds. In this case the court may mitigate his penalty, provided the imprisonment is not less than half the minimum prescribed for the crime.
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 56 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Crimes and Financing Law
Can a terrorism penalty be mitigated if the accused cooperates?
Yes. The competent court may mitigate if the offender took the initiative to report to the competent authorities information that could not have been obtained by another route, to help with one of the purposes mentioned in the article.
How far can the penalty be mitigated?
The imprisonment penalty may not be less than half the minimum prescribed for it, and the fine may not be less than half the minimum prescribed for it.
Is mitigation an automatic right for the person who reports?
No. The text makes mitigation discretionary for the competent court once its conditions are met.
More articles on Aggravating and Mitigating Penalties
- Article 11
Article 11 allows the Public Prosecution to suspend proceedings against a person who voluntarily reported a crime under the Law and cooperated with the competent authorities, without prejudice to the private claimant's right.
مع عدم الإخلال بحق المدعي بالحق الخاص، للنيابة العامة إيقاف إجراءات الدعوى بحق من بادر بالإبلاغ عن جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام -قبل ارتكابها أو بعد
- Article 40
Article 40 punishes with imprisonment of 10 to 30 years anyone who kidnaps, detains or confines a person, or threatens to, in carrying out a terrorist or terrorist financing crime, and the court may sentence to death where a weapon is used.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على (ثلاثين) سنة ولا تقل عن (عشر) سنوات, كل من خطف شخصاً أو احتجزه أو حبسه أو هدد بأي من تلك الأفعال تنفيذاً لجريمة إرهابية أو جريمة تم
- Article 41
Article 41 punishes with imprisonment of 10 to 30 years anyone who hijacks a means of public transport, or threatens to, in carrying out a terrorist or terrorist financing crime, and with death if the act is accompanied by use or brandishing of weapons.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تزيد على (ثلاثين) سنة ولا تقل عن (عشر) سنوات، كـل مـن اختطـف أي وسيلة من وسائل النقل العام أو هدد بأي من تلك الأفعال؛ تنفيذاً لجريمة إرهابية
- Article 50
Article 50 prescribes death where a crime under the Law results in the death of one or more persons, and sets the imprisonment term at no less than half its maximum in cases of weapons, non-profit organizations, repeat offending or exploiting minors.
1- يعاقب بالقتل كل من ارتكب أيًّا من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام نتج عنها وفاة شخص أو أكثر. 2- لا تقل عقوبة السجن المقرر لكل من ارتكب أيًّا من الجرائم المنص
- Article 51
Article 51 punishes attempt at crimes under the Law with the penalty prescribed for the act, and treats as an accomplice, with the same penalty, anyone who contributes by agreement, incitement or assistance, conceals evidence or helps a wanted person escape.
1- يُعاقب كل من شرع في القيام بارتكاب أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام بالعقوبة المقررة لذلك الفعل. 2- يعد شريكاً في أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام
- Article 52
Article 52 provides that the discretionary (ta'zir) penalties in the Law do not affect any more severe penalty based on the provisions of Islamic Sharia or other laws.
لا تخل العقوبات التعزيرية الواردة في النظام؛ بأي عقوبة أشد تستند إلى أحكام الشريعة الإسلامية أو الأنظمة الأخرى.
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.