Article 160 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
المادة 160 من اللائحة التنفيذية لنظام الإجراءات الجزائية · الباب الثامن: الأحكام الواجبة التنفيذ وإجراءات تنفيذها وضوابطه
The convicted person is brought to the place of execution without violence or harm, the committee verifies his or her identity, and a statement of the crime, the judgment, and the execution order is read aloud.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يُحضر المحكـوم عليه إلى مكان تنفيذ العقوبة بلا عنف، أو أي أذى نفسي أو جسدي.
2 - على اللجنة التي تشهد التنفيذ التثبت من شخصية المحكوم عليه قبل التنفيذ عن طريق الوثائق الرسمية المتاحة، ويلزم في الأحكام الصادرة بالقتل، أو القطع، أو الرجم، أو القصاص في النفس أو فيما دونها التأكد أيضاً من شخصيته بمضاهاة البصمة، أو ما يقوم مقامها.
3 - يجب - عند تنفيذ الحكم - أن يُتلى بيان بالجريمة ومضمون الحكم الصادر بالعقوبة وكذلك الأمر الصادر بتنفيذها بصوت مسموع.
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 160 explained in plain English
This article of the Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law sets three safeguards that precede or accompany the carrying out of a sentence:
1. Bringing the person without harm: The convicted person is brought to the place where the sentence is carried out without violence or any psychological or physical harm. This paragraph is general and is not limited to a particular type of sentence.
2. Verifying identity: The committee that witnesses the execution must verify the identity of the convicted person before the sentence is carried out, using the official documents available. For sentences of death, amputation, stoning, or retaliation (qisas) against a person or for lesser injuries, his identity must also be confirmed by matching fingerprints or an equivalent. That is, official documents alone are not enough for these sentences.
3. Reading aloud: When the sentence is carried out, a statement of the crime, the content of the judgment imposing the sentence, and the order issued to carry it out must be read aloud.
The committee meant here is the one governed by Article 156 of the Regulations, made up of delegates representing the administrative governor, the court, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, and the police. Article 161 completes this arrangement for retaliation (qisas) judgments, requiring the executing authority to notify the holder of the right to retaliation in writing of the date and place of execution, and the sentence is not carried out except in his presence or that of his representative. Article 159 also assigns the security authority to keep the execution site secure.
Anyone who has indications that these safeguards were violated in a particular case should consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
Before an amputation sentence was carried out, the committee reviewed the convicted person's national ID, but it did not stop there. It also confirmed his identity by matching his fingerprint, and then a statement of the crime, the content of the judgment, and the execution order were read aloud before the start.
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 160 of the Saudi Implementing Regulations of the Criminal Procedure Law
Is it permitted to use violence when bringing the convicted person for execution?
No. The article provides that the convicted person is brought to the place of execution without violence or any psychological or physical harm.
How is the identity of the convicted person verified before execution?
Through the official documents available. For sentences of death, amputation, stoning, and retaliation, identity must also be confirmed by matching fingerprints or an equivalent.
Is the judgment read out before it is carried out?
Yes. A statement of the crime, the content of the judgment, and the order issued to carry it out must be read aloud.
More articles on Executing Criminal Judgments
- Article 149
This article of the Regulations allows any party to request reconsideration of a final judgment imposing a penalty even after it is executed or the penalty lapses, and requires both judgments to be final for a contradiction to arise.
1- يحق لأيٍّ من الخصوم طلب إعادة النظر في الحكم النهائي الصادر بالعقوبة ولو بعد تنفيذه، أو سقـوط العقوبة بالعفو أو الصلح أو وفاة المحكوم عليه. 2 - يُشترط لتحقق
- Article 150
This article of the Regulations requires an order to stay execution of a judgment issued under Article 206 of the Law to be recorded in the case record and notified immediately to the execution authority by official letter.
إذا صدر أمر إيقاف تنفيذ الحكم - وفقا للمادة (السادسة بعد المائتين) من النظام - فيدون في ضبط الدعوى، ويبلغ فوراً إلى جهة التنفيذ بكتاب رسمي.
- Article 151
If part of a criminal judgment becomes final but another part does not, a certified copy is sent to the execution authority to execute only the final part.
إذا صدر الحكم في دعوى اشتملت على حقٍّ عامٍّ وحقٍّ خاصٍّ واكتسب الحكم الصفة القطعية في أحدهما دون الآخر، أو صدر الحكم في دعوى واكتسب صفة القطعية في بعضه دون بعض،
- Article 152
The article requires the court to notify the detention administration in writing of the substance of its judgment in the cases provided for in Article 213 of the Law, so the detained accused is released at once.
تُبلِّغ المحكمةُ كتابةً إدارةَ التوقيف بمضمون الحكم الذي أصدرته في الحالات المنصوص عليها في المادة (الثالثة عشرة بعد المائتين) من النظام للإفراج عن المتهم الموق
- Article 153
The article explains when a new prison sentence starts if the stay of an earlier sentence is cancelled, to whom the cancellation request is made, and that part of a discretionary prison sentence may be stayed.
1- إذا نُص في الحكم على وقف تنفيذ عقوبة السجن التعزيرية في الحق العام، وارتكب المحكوم عليه جريمة خلال المدة المشار إليها في الفقرة (2) من المادة (الرابعة عشرة ب
- Article 154
Orders to carry out criminal sentences are issued by the administrative governor, except for sentences whose execution requires an order from the King or his delegate.
فيما عدا الأحكام الجزائية التي يكون تنفيذها بعد صدور أمر من الملك أو ممن ينيبه، يصدر أمر تنفيذ الأحكام الجزائية من الحاكم الإداري.
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.