“Okaz” sources denied the contents of video clips created and published by a number of those who call themselves social media celebrities and transmitted by followers, claiming the existence of new regulations and decisions indicating that if a girl is caught accompanied by a young man, the penalty reaches 10 years in prison.
According to “Okaz” monitoring; These contents represent clips that published allegations that contradict Sharia, religion, belief and all systems, in addition to reason and logic.
Among the visual content is a clip claiming the return of what he called the previous system of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention (there is no system with this name), in which the video content states that any girl who is caught with a young man will marry him by force, and her dowry will be a thousand riyals, and she does not demand a house, but rather she will live in a room with whom you are caught.
Among the claims of what those clips mentioned was what she described as “the shepherd of the evenings”, that if a person is married, he is prohibited from divorcing the one he married, and if he divorces her, he will be imprisoned for 10 years and flogged a thousand lashes per month. And this is according to what was narrated by “social media celebrities”!
Among the allegations spread on these platforms is that if a married woman is caught with a man, she will be divorced from her husband and married to the one with whom she was caught, and other lies that “Okaz” presented to specialists, and they were unanimously agreed that it is a lie and slander.
Penalties for those involved, and the “prosecution” moves the case
“Okaz” sources confirmed that the creation and publication of video clips is considered a criminal information crime according to Article 6 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law, which stipulates the penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of three million riyals, and defamation at the expense of those who are convicted before the courts of creating or publishing something that would prejudice public order.
And it stated that the circulating clips presented lies that have no basis in the system and do not comply with Sharia or the applicable judicial systems. And she warned of penalties for those involved in preparing and publishing the videos, and the Public Prosecution would file a lawsuit against them, arrest them, investigate them, and refer them to the Criminal Court, in parallel with imposing a previous fine against a content maker of 400,000 riyals; For sharing it with another famous Snapchat woman, they violated the media content controls, and published a video that included abuse on the social media of a country.
Prosecution: We warn against violating order, values and morals
The Public Prosecution warned against producing, preparing, sending, or storing anything that would prejudice public order, religious values, public morals, or the sanctity of private life, through the information network or a computer, indicating that the perpetrator will be punished. Imprisonment for a term of up to five years and a fine of up to three million riyals, or one of these two penalties.
The General Commission for Audiovisual Media had summoned a content maker who had published content containing false information about the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice implementing a decision that includes forcing those caught in illegal solitude to marry for a period of two years with a dowry ceiling of one thousand riyals.
And the content creator confirmed in a video clip she broadcast on her platform on the “Tik Tok” program that whoever does not adhere to that period will be punished with 10 years in prison, with the imposition of a flogging penalty, and that its content includes misleading information about the decision that caused public opinion to stir up.
The Audiovisual Media Commission stressed that anyone who violates the electronic publishing regulations; Whether the regulation governing electronic publishing or the system for combating information crimes, legal measures will be taken against him.
“Audio-visual”: We monitored 4,000 violations in 3 months
The General Authority for Audiovisual Media revealed that more than 4,000 media violations were monitored in the first quarter of 2023; Of these, 570 complaints were submitted by the public, and 15% of them were monitored through public cooperation, through the available communication channels, and 826 violations were referred to the Public Prosecution, and violations in the public right amounted to 151, and 198 trusted violations.
They varied between violations of media content, infringement and abuse of others, use of vulgar language, and violations of non-compliance with the controls for importing and distributing media content, in addition to unauthorized receivers.
In the same regard, regarding what is considered content that violates the authority’s regulations, and violates public decency, one of the content creators on the “Tik Tok” platform was summoned for using vulgar language in his communication with the public, and accordingly the necessary measures were taken to complete the legal procedures against him.
“Enjoining Good”: There is no truth to what is being circulated
The General Presidency of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice denied the validity of the rumors circulated on social media regarding the work of the Commission, stressing that the General Presidency carries out its work and competencies in accordance with regulations and instructions.
And the General Presidency of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice renewed the incorrectness of what the content creator mentioned, and confirmed that there is no truth to what was circulated on social networking sites regarding the work of the Commission.
The authority said: “In reference to the rumors circulated on social media regarding the work of the authority, there is no truth to what was circulated.”
It indicated that the General Presidency of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice carries out its duties and specializations in accordance with its regulations and instructions.
And the authority had previously denied this rumor in 2012, so that the content maker would return to promoting it again.
Judge: They misled society and spread confusion
The former judge of the Criminal Court in Jeddah, Sheikh Dr. Youssef Gharamallah Al-Ghamdi, commented on this by saying: “What was published and spread by famous people who are devoid of knowledge, and their bankruptcy became famous, so they flew just for fame, devoid of noble intentions. They have now begun to spread rumors, lies and fabrications against the official authorities.” and misleading society and spreading confusion, exploiting sexual emotions and exaggerating anecdotes and trivialities to achieve their personal gains and cover their knowledge media bankruptcy and scientific emptiness; And what was circulated and circulated among the Saudi society in terms of decisions that included specific and detailed laws, regulations, and penalties for those who engage in forbidden seclusion, that the malicious young man is obligated to the malicious one; Because it is malicious if the malicious woman is not married, and if she is married, then they inform her husband, so if he divorces her, the malicious marries her, and other such heresies and distortion and alteration of legal meanings without knowledge or insight. The penalty is up to five years in prison and a fine of three million riyals.
Judge Al-Ghamdi added: “It is known of necessity and as a reminder that all regulations, decisions and laws are issued through official channels and are approved by the media through the official gazette and newspaper; It is the mother of villages, after its legal approval by the legislative authority in Saudi Arabia.
Lawyers: a crime punishable by imprisonment, fine and defamation
Attorney Manal Al-Harthy added: “Those who track and monitor the justice systems are fully aware that the system of criminal procedures is clear, announced and specific, and there is no such thing as the system of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue as those clips claim, in addition to that marriage and divorce are red lines that not everyone can talk about.” about her; Being subject to legal requirements and specified by legal texts mentioned in the Personal Status Law.
Lawyer Badr Farhan Al-Rouqi stressed that preparing and publishing video clips that raise public opinion, regardless of their duration, is an information crime, and the perpetrator is punished with imprisonment, a fine, and defamation. According to the Anti-Information Crimes Law.
And he warned against complacency in publishing clips that promote lies, even if it was for the sake of “as it reached me,” or according to the rule of “the trust on the narrator.” All of this does not absolve one from responsibility.
Lawyer Majed Al-Ahmari stated to “Okaz” that producing something that would prejudice public order, religious values, public morals, or the sanctity of private life, or preparing, sending, or storing it through the information network or a computer, is criminal. According to the first paragraph of Article Six of the Law on Combating Information Crimes, the maximum penalty for that is imprisonment up to five years, and a fine of up to three million riyals, in addition to publishing a summary of the ruling at the expense of the convict. Professor of judiciary and government system expert at the Islamic Fiqh Academy, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Safar, warned against spreading lies and rumors, pointing out that shivering was practiced by hypocrites within the Islamic community. Therefore, the Messenger – may God bless him and grant him peace – warned against a person speaking with everything he hears.
He noted that this is an explicit call to scrutinize the news and ensure its authenticity. So that a person will be delivered from false information.
