Article 21 of the Saudi Prisons and Detention Law
المادة 21 من نظام السجن والتوقيف
An administrative procedure may not delay the release of a prisoner or detainee beyond the set time.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز أن يؤخر الإجراء الإداري الإفراج عن المسجون أو الموقوف في الوقت المحدد.
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 21 explained in plain English
This article is short but establishes an important guarantee: an administrative procedure may not delay the release of a prisoner or detainee at the set time.
In practical terms this means:
- If the set time for the release of a prisoner or detainee arrives, he may not stay in custody because of administrative procedures that are not complete, such as finishing paperwork or waiting for signatures.
- The article covers both the prisoner (the convict) and the detainee.
- What counts is the set time for release, so administrative procedures must be completed in a way that does not exceed it.
The article itself does not explain how this time is determined, or what follows from violating this provision; the text is limited to preventing delay.
The article comes between two provisions: Article (20), which sets the penalties that may be imposed on a prisoner or detainee who violates order, including solitary confinement and loss of privileges, and Article (22), which refers to the Implementing Regulations the rules on social and health care and health-related release.
If the release of a relative of yours is delayed after its date has arrived, it is appropriate to consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases to learn the steps available.
Practical example
The set date for the release of Nasser from a prison in Abha arrived, but the administration told him that some paperwork was not yet complete. Under this article, this administrative procedure may not delay his release beyond the set time.
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 21 of the Saudi Prisons and Detention Law
Can release of a prisoner be delayed because of procedures?
No. The article states that an administrative procedure may not delay the release of a prisoner or detainee at the set time.
Does this provision also cover the detainee?
Yes. The text covers both the prisoner and the detainee.
More articles on Admission to Prison and Release
- Article 7
No one may be placed in prison or detention, transferred or released except by a written order from the competent authority, and no prisoner or detainee may stay after the period stated in his commitment order ends.
لا يجوز إيداع أي إنسان في سجن أو في دار للتوقيف أو نقله أو إخلاء سبيله إلا بأمر كتابي صادر من السلطة المختصة، ولا يجوز أن يبقى المسجون أو الموقوف في السجن أو دو
- Article 8
Every prisoner or detainee must be searched before entry, and his money and valuables must be placed in the safe to be handed to him upon release or to the person he designates.
يجب أن يفتش كل مسجون أو موقوف قبل دخوله السجن أو دار التوقيف وأن يؤخذ ما يوجد معه من نقود أو أشياء ذات قيمة وتودع خزانة السجن أو دار التوقيف لتسليمها إليه عند ا
- Article 9
What a prisoner or detainee hides or refuses to hand over, and what someone else tries to secretly get to him in prison, is confiscated.
يصادر ما يخفيه المسجون أو الموقوف أو يمتنع عن تسليمه، أو يحاول غيره خفية توصيله إليه في السجن.
- Article 11
A convict whose stay in prison exceeds four years must go through a transition period before release, counted as part of the sentence, to make it easier to integrate him into society.
إذا زادت مدة بقاء المحكوم عليه في السجن عن أربع سنين، وجب قبل الإفراج عنه أن يمر بفترة انتقال تهدف إلى تيسير إدماجه في المجتمع بعد الإفراج عنه وتحتسب هذه الفترة
- Article 24
A prisoner or detainee is released before noon on the day after his sentence or period of detention ends, unless a general pardon provides otherwise, in which case he is released at the time set by the pardon decision.
يفرج عن المسجون أو الموقوف قبل ظهر اليوم التالي لانقضاء العقوبة أو مدة الإيقاف، وذلك ما لم يصدر عفو عام عن الجريمة أو العقوبة أو جزء منها فيتم الإفراج عن المسجو
- Article 26
The period a detainee spends in a detention facility is deducted from the sentence imposed on him.
تخصم المدة التي يقضيها الموقوف في دار التوقيف من المدة المحكوم بها عليه.
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.