Article 22 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Law Implementing Regulations
المادة 22 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام مكافحة جرائم الإرهاب وتمويله
The article sets what governs surrender of wanted persons under Article 73 of the Law, the dual criminality condition, the information needed to consider a request, and the possibility of refusal with referral to the Public Prosecution.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يحكم عملية التسلم والتسليم -المشار إليها في المادة (الثالثة والسبعين) من النظام- الاتفاقيات الثنائية الموقعة بين المملكة والدول الأخرى، أو التزامات المملكة في أي من الاتفاقيات أو البروتوكولات الدولية -التي تكون المملكة طرفاً فيها- أو بناءً على مبدأ المعاملة بالمثل.
2- يراعى في طلب التسليم أن تكون الدولة مقدمة الطلب والمملكة تجرمان ذات الفعل الذي يقوم عليه طلب التسليم.
3- لا يُنظر في طلب التسليم إلا في حال استيفاء ما يأتي:
أ ـ أن يكون الطلب مكتوباً ومرسلاً عن طريق القنوات الرسمية.
ب ـ إرفاق صورة أصلية أو طبق الأصل عن حكم الإدانة، أو عن أمر التوقيف الصادر في شأن الشخص المطلوب تسليمه.
ج ـ بيان بالجرائم المطلوب في شأنها طلب التسليم، على أن يتضمن معلومات مفصلة حيال الجريمة وزمانها ومكانها.
د ـ كافة المعلومات الضرورية لتحديد هوية الشخص المطلوب.
هـ ـ أي معلومة أخرى تراها الجهات المختصة ضرورية لتنفيذ الطلب.
4- يجوز رفض طلب تسليم المطلوبين سواءً كانوا مواطنين أم مقيمين. وفي الحالات التي يتم فيها رفض تسليم المطلوبين، يحال الأمر إلى النيابة العامة من دون تأخير لأغراض الإدعاء في الجريمة المنصوص عليها في الطلب.
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 22 explained in plain English
This article regulates the surrender and receipt referred to in Article (73) of the Law.
1. The reference: bilateral agreements between the Kingdom and other states, or the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements or protocols to which it is a party, or the principle of reciprocity.
2. Dual criminality: it is to be ensured that the requesting state and the Kingdom both criminalize the same act on which the request is based.
3. Conditions for considering the request: it is considered only if it is:
- In writing and sent through official channels.
- Accompanied by an original or certified copy of the conviction or the arrest warrant.
- Including a statement of the crimes for which surrender is sought, with detailed information on the crime, its time and place.
- Including all the information necessary to identify the wanted person, and any other information the competent authorities consider necessary.
4. Possibility of refusal: a surrender request may be refused, whether the wanted person is a citizen or a resident. On refusal, the matter is referred to the Public Prosecution without delay for the purpose of prosecuting the crime mentioned in the request.
The practical meaning is that refusing surrender does not mean the wanted person escapes accountability, since he is referred to the Public Prosecution for prosecution for the same crime. A person facing a surrender request should consult a lawyer specialized in international and criminal cases.
Practical example
A foreign state requested the surrender of a resident of the Kingdom accused of terrorism financing. The request must arrive in writing through official channels with a copy of the arrest warrant and a detailed statement of the crime. If surrender is refused, the matter is referred to the Public Prosecution without delay to prosecute him for the same crime.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentCriminal Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Criminal Law lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Ibrahim Al Salem Law Firm
Active contributor
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Frequently asked questions about Article 22 of the Saudi Counter-Terrorism Law Implementing Regulations
May a request to surrender a wanted person to a foreign state be refused?
Yes, the request may be refused whether the wanted person is a citizen or a resident, and the matter is then referred to the Public Prosecution without delay for the purposes of prosecution.
What governs the surrender of wanted persons?
Bilateral agreements, or the Kingdom's obligations under international agreements and protocols to which it is a party, or the principle of reciprocity.
Must the act be a crime in the Kingdom?
It is to be ensured that the requesting state and the Kingdom both criminalize the same act on which the surrender request is based.
More articles on International Cooperation and Extradition
- Article 14
The article provides for enforcing final foreign judgments in terrorism and financing crimes, including confiscation, under the Kingdom's laws, subject to eight conditions in the requesting state's request.
يكون تنفيذ الحكم القضائي الأجنبي النهائي، المتعلق بأي جريمة إرهابية أو جريمة تمويل إرهاب بما فيها الأحكام المتعلقة بمصادرة الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المرت
- Article 15
The article identifies the competent authority referred to in Article 62 of the Law for recovering and sharing confiscated funds with states bound by agreements as the Permanent Committee for Legal Assistance Requests at the Ministry of Interior.
يقصد بالجهة المختصة -المشار إليها في المادة (الثانية والستين) من النظام- المعنية باسترداد واقتسام الأموال أو المتحصلات أو الوسائط المصادرة مع الدول التي تربطها
- Article 21
The article identifies the competent authorities referred to in Article 72 of the Law, regulates execution of requests for controlled delivery of funds, and lets the Presidency of State Security allow suspicious funds to pass to identify those involved.
1- الجهات المختصة، المشار إليها في المادة (الثانية والسبعين) من النظام؛ هي النيابة العامة ورئاسة أمن الدولة كل في نطاق اختصاصه، على أن يتم التنسيق -عند الاقتضاء
- Article 24
The article requires the foreign counterpart's permission before passing on or using its supervisory information, and allows the supervisory authority to make inquiries on its behalf or enable it to do so for consolidated supervision.
1- في الحالات التي تحصل فيها الجهة الرقابية من جهة أجنبية نظيرة على معلومات لأغراض رقابية وفقاً للفقرة (5) من المادة (الثانية والثمانين) من النظام، فعلى الجهة ا
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.