Article 26 of the Saudi Explosives and Fireworks Law
المادة 26 من نظام المتفجرات والمفرقعات · الفصل الرابع: أحكام ختامية
The article exempts from the penalties of Articles 15, 16, 17 and 21 anyone who reports to the authorities before the violation is carried out, or reports afterward and his report helps catch his accomplices, under rules set by the Implementing Regulations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يعفى من العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المواد (الخامسة عشرة، والسادسة عشرة، والسابعة عشرة، والحادية والعشرين) من هذا النظام كل من:
أ - بادر بإبلاغ السلطات قبل البدء في تنفيذ المخالفة.
ب - قام بالإبلاغ بعد حدوث المخالفة وساعد بلاغه في ضبط شركائه في المخالفة نفسها، أو في مخالفة أخرى مماثلة لها في النوع والخطورة.
وتحدد اللائحة الضوابط اللازمة لذلك.
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 encourages exposing crimes involving explosives and fireworks by granting exemption from punishment to anyone who cooperates with the authorities.
The penalties covered by the exemption are specifically those in the following articles:
- Article 15: acts involving explosives with intent to undermine the Kingdom's security.
- Article 16: smuggling explosives with intent to trade in them, or manufacturing them.
- Article 17: possessing explosives, transporting them knowingly, or buying, selling or using them.
- Article 21: smuggling fireworks, making them or trading in them.
By the article's wording, the exemption covers no other penalties.
The two cases of exemption:
- Prior reporting: the person takes the initiative to report to the authorities before starting to carry out the violation.
- Useful later reporting: he reports after the violation has occurred, provided his report helps in catching his accomplices in the same violation, or in another violation similar to it in type and seriousness. Reporting after the fact alone is not enough; it must lead to this help.
The article provides that the Implementing Regulations set the necessary rules for this, so the details of applying the exemption are found there.
The article is linked to Article 24, which punishes a knowing accomplice with the penalty set for the violator; the exemption gives an accomplice a way out of that liability if he cooperates under the conditions. Anyone considering reporting a violation he took part in needs to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal cases before taking any step.
Practical example
Three people agree to smuggle fireworks into the Kingdom to trade in them, and then one of them backs out and reports to the authorities before carrying it out. He is exempted from the penalty in Article 21 under this article, according to the rules set by the Implementing Regulations.
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 Explosives and Fireworks Law
Is someone who reports an explosives crime he took part in exempted from punishment?
He is exempted from the penalties of Articles 15, 16, 17 and 21 if he reports before starting the violation, or reports after it occurs and his report helps catch his accomplices.
Is reporting after the violation enough for the exemption?
Not by itself. The report must help catch the accomplices in the same violation or in another violation similar to it in type and seriousness.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 15
The article punishes with up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 5 million, or either, anyone who commits explosives-related acts with intent to undermine the Kingdom's security, unless the circumstances call for a harsher penalty.
مالم تقتض ملابسات الجريمة عقوبة أشد، يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز عشرين سنة وبغرامة لا تزيد على خمسة ملايين ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من ثبت قيامه - بقصد
- Article 16
The article punishes with up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 2,500,000, or either, anyone who smuggles explosives into the Kingdom with intent to trade in them or who manufactures them.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز عشر سنوات، وبغرامة لا تزيد على مليونين وخمسمائة ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين، كل من هرب متفجرات إلى داخل المملكة بقصد الاتجار،
- Article 17
The article punishes with up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 1 million, or either, anyone who possesses explosives, transports them knowing they are explosives, or buys, sells or uses them.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز خمس سنوات، وبغرامة لا تزيد على مليون ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين، كل من حاز متفجرات، أو نقلها مع علمه أنها متفجرات، أو اشتراها، أو
- Article 21
The article punishes with up to 6 months in prison and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either, anyone who smuggles fireworks into the Kingdom, makes them or trades in them.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز ستة أشهر، وبغرامة لا تزيد على مائة ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من هرب مفرقعات إلى داخل المملكة، أو صنعها، أو اتجر فيها.
More articles on Exemption from Penalty and Reward for Informants
- Article 27
The article exempts from the Law's penalties anyone who unlawfully possessed explosives or fireworks if he applies for the required permit or hands them over to the Ministry within 3 months of the Law taking effect.
يعفى من العقوبات الواردة في هذا النظام، كل من حاز متفجرات أو مفرقعات على وجه مخالف لأحكام هذا النظام، إذا تقدم بطلب التصريح اللازم بها خلال ثلاثة أشهر من تاريخ
- Article 28
The article grants anyone who reports a violation of the Explosives and Fireworks Law, where the report leads to catching it, a reward assessed by the Minister that does not exceed the fine set for the violation.
تمنح مكافأة – يقدرها الوزير – لا تزيد على مبلغ الغرامة المقررة للمخالفة، لكل من يبلغ عن أي مخالفة من المخالفات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، إذا ترتب على بلاغه ض
- Article 30
The article requires the Minister of Interior to issue the Implementing Regulations of the Explosives and Fireworks Law within 120 days, publish them in the Official Gazette, and apply them from the date the Law takes effect.
يصدر الوزير اللائحة التنفيذية لهذا النظام خلال مائة وعشرين يوما، وتنشر في الجريدة الرسمية، ويعمل بها من تاريخ نفاذ هذا النظام.
- Article 31
The article provides that the Explosives and Fireworks Law is published in the Official Gazette and takes effect 120 days after its publication, and that anything that conflicts with it is repealed.
ينشر هذا النظام في الجريدة الرسمية، ويعمل به بعد مائة وعشرين يوما من تاريخ نشره، ويلغي كل ما يتعارض معه من أحكام.
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.