Article 19 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law

This article addresses the case where a protected person is assaulted, and sets two rules:

First: the State bears the cost of their treatment, where the assault was for the reasons for which protection was decided. This rule depends on the assault being connected to the reasons for protection, as the article expressly states.

Second: recourse against the assailants. The program administration may recover from the persons who harmed the protected person the costs borne by the State, in accordance with legal procedures.

The article begins with the phrase "without prejudice to the claimant's private right", meaning that the State's bearing the treatment cost does not affect the claimant's private right against the assailant.

A protected person, as defined in Article 1, is someone for whom the program administration decides to provide any type of protection. According to the same article, protection extends to the spouse, relatives and persons closely connected to the whistleblower, witness, expert or victim who are at risk.

The article is linked to Article 18, which bars criminal proceedings against a whistleblower, witness or expert unless the report is proven malicious, the testimony false, or the expertise false or grossly negligent. Anyone who needs to assess their rights after an assault of this kind can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.