Article 32 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
المادة 32 من نظام حماية المبلغين والشهود والخبراء والضحايا
The article treats a public employee, or someone treated as one, committing the offenses in Articles 24, 25 and 26 because of their job as a corruption offense, and applies the more severe penalty if the act is an offense under another law.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- يعد ارتكاب الموظف العام أو من في حكمه أيًّا من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المواد (الرابعة والعشرين) و(الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) من النظام بسبب وظيفته؛ جريمة فساد.
2- إذا شكل أي من الأفعال المنصوص عليها في المواد (الرابعة والعشرين) و(الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) و(السابعة والعشرين) من النظام جريمة وفق أنظمة أخرى؛ فتطبق العقوبة الأشد.
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 32 explained in plain English
This article contains two provisions:
First: treating certain offenses as corruption. If a public employee or someone treated as one commits any of the offenses in Articles 24, 25 and 26 because of their job, their act is a corruption offense. These offenses are:
- deliberately disclosing what harms a protected person (Article 24);
- using force or violence against a protected person after they tell or disclose the truth, or to make them refrain from doing so (Article 25);
- threatening, blackmailing or enticing a protected person, obstructing protection or refusing to provide it by someone the Law obliges to do so, and taking the prohibited employment measures against them (Article 26).
For this, the act must be because of the job. This paragraph does not mention Article 27 on private establishments.
Second: applying the more severe penalty. If any of the acts in Articles 24, 25, 26 and 27 is also an offense under other laws, the more severe penalty applies, whether it is in this Law or in the other law.
This article is linked to Article 31, which provides for confiscation, by court judgment, of the money, benefit or advantage that is the subject of the offense, the tools used in it and its proceeds, and to Article 33, which provides that the provisions on protection in the Law do not affect any other measures or types of protection established for protected persons under any other law.
Anyone who needs to assess their position can consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal cases.
Practical example
A government employee in Riyadh comes across a protected witness's data through his job and deliberately discloses it to the accused's relatives. His act is a corruption offense because he committed it because of his job, and if the same act is an offense under another law, the more severe penalty applies.
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 32 of the Saudi Protection of Whistleblowers, Witnesses, Experts and Victims Law
Is a government employee disclosing a witness's identity a corruption offense?
If a public employee, or someone treated as one, commits any of the offenses in Articles 24, 25 and 26 because of their job, it is a corruption offense.
Which penalty applies if the act is an offense under two laws?
If any of the acts in Articles 24, 25, 26 and 27 is an offense under other laws, the more severe penalty applies.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 24
The article punishes deliberate disclosure of what harms a protected person with up to one year in prison and a fine of up to SAR 200,000, or either, subject to the exceptions in Article 16(2).
مع مراعاة ما ورد في الفقرة (2) من المادة (السادسة عشرة) من النظام، يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز (سنة)، وبغرامة لا تزيد على (مئتي) ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبت
- Article 25
The article punishes using force or violence against a protected person after they tell the truth, or to stop them, with up to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or either.
يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز (ثلاث) سنوات، وبغرامة لا تزيد على (خمسمئة) ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من استعمل القوة أو العنف تجاه المشمول بالحماية بعد
- Article 26
The article punishes threatening, blackmailing or enticing a protected person, obstructing or refusing protection, and taking prohibited employment measures against them, with graduated prison terms and fines.
1- يعاقب بالسجن مدة لا تتجاوز (سنتين)، وبغرامة لا تزيد على (ثلاثمئة) ألف ريال، أو بإحدى هاتين العقوبتين؛ كل من هدد المشمول بالحماية أو ابتزه أو قدم له عطية أو م
- Article 27
The article punishes a private establishment with a fine of up to SAR 5 million, a ban on contracting with public bodies for up to 5 years, or both, if its manager or personnel commit offenses under Articles 25 and 26 in its interest.
كل منشأة خاصة تعمل في المملكة ثبت أن مديرها أو أحد منسوبيها ارتكب جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المادتين (الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) من النظام لم
More articles on Aggravated Penalties and Liability of Establishments
- Article 27
The article punishes a private establishment with a fine of up to SAR 5 million, a ban on contracting with public bodies for up to 5 years, or both, if its manager or personnel commit offenses under Articles 25 and 26 in its interest.
كل منشأة خاصة تعمل في المملكة ثبت أن مديرها أو أحد منسوبيها ارتكب جريمة من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المادتين (الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) من النظام لم
- Article 28
The article punishes anyone who incites, agrees to or helps with the offenses in Articles 24 to 27 by up to the maximum penalty if the offense occurs, and up to half of it if it does not.
يعاقب من حرض غيره على ارتكاب أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المواد (الرابعة والعشرين) و(الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) و(السابعة والعشرين) من النظام، أو
- Article 29
The article punishes attempting any offense in Articles 24, 25, 26 and 27 with a penalty not exceeding half of the maximum penalty set for that offense.
يعاقب كل من شرع في القيام بأي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في المواد (الرابعة والعشرين) و(الخامسة والعشرين) و(السادسة والعشرين) و(السابعة والعشرين) من النظام بما لا
- Article 30
The article provides that sentences may not be less than half of their maximum if the offense is committed through an organized gang or in a case of recidivism within 5 years of a final judgment.
لا تقل العقوبات المحكوم بها عن نصف حدها الأعلى المقرر في النظام، وذلك في أي من الحالتين الآتيتين: 1- إذا ارتكبت الجريمة من خلال عصابة منظمة. 2- حالة العود. ويعد
- Article 31
The article provides for confiscation, by court judgment, of the money, benefit or advantage that is the subject of the offense, the tools used and the proceeds, without prejudice to the rights of good-faith third parties.
دون إخلال بحق الغير حسن النية، يصادر بحكم قضائي المال أو الفائدة أو الميزة محل الجريمة والأدوات والآلات المستخدمة في ارتكاب أي من الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظا
- Article 35
The article assigns investigation and prosecution of the Law's offenses to the Public Prosecution, except corruption offenses, which the Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Unit of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority handles.
1- تتولى النيابة العامة التحقيق والادعاء أمام المحكمة المختصة بالفصل في الجرائم المنصوص عليها في النظام فيما عدا جرائم الفساد. 2- تتولى وحدة التحقيق والادعاء ال
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.