Article 1 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law

This article is the key to understanding the Law, because it fixes the meaning of the words that recur in its other articles. Its most important points:

• Covered crimes: not every crime, but "serious crimes that warrant detention" as provided in the laws.
• Whistleblower: a person who voluntarily provides information or proof that gives rise to a belief that a covered crime has been or may be committed, or who reveals those who committed it.
• Witness: a person who gives influential information that he perceived with his senses, or who agreed to give it, to prove a covered crime.
• Expert: a person with knowledge of and expertise in a technical, scientific or practical subject, whom the investigating body or the court uses to uncover the crime, its evidence or any of its perpetrators.
• Victim: a person who suffered harm because of the commission of a covered crime.
• Protection: the procedures, measures and guarantees taken when required, which are not limited to the person himself but extend to his spouse, relatives and others who are at risk of danger or harm because of their close connection with him, under the types of protection in Article 14, which include security protection, concealing personal data and changing the place of residence.
• The program: the program for protecting whistleblowers, witnesses, experts and victims established under Article 4, which creates it in the Public Prosecution.
• Person covered by protection: a person for whom the program administration decides to provide any type of protection; the definition ties the description to the program administration's decision.

The article also defines "the Regulations" as the Implementing Regulations of the Law, "the security department" as the department competent to apply security protection to those covered by the program, and "the court" as the court competent to consider the crimes covered by the provisions of the Law.