Article 25 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law

This article protects the protected person from violence. It punishes anyone who uses force or violence against them in either of two cases:

• after they tell or disclose the truth; or
• to make them refrain from telling or disclosing it.

The penalty is imprisonment for no more than 3 years and a fine of no more than SAR 500,000, or either of these two penalties.

For the article to apply, the victim of the assault must be a protected person, meaning someone for whom the program administration decides to provide any type of protection as defined in Article 1, and the use of force or violence must come after telling or disclosing the truth, or be aimed at making them refrain from doing so.

This article sits alongside other penalty articles in the Law:

• Article 24 punishes anyone who deliberately discloses anything likely to harm a protected person with imprisonment for no more than one year and a fine of no more than SAR 200,000, or either.
• Article 26 punishes anyone who threatens or blackmails a protected person, or gives them, or promises them, a gift, benefit or advantage to make them refrain from telling or disclosing the truth, with imprisonment for no more than two years and a fine of no more than SAR 300,000, or either.

Anyone in a situation of this kind, or facing an accusation of it, can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.