Saudi Arabia to ban arrests of juveniles unless caught red-handed: Report

Saudi Arabia’s higher authorities are set to amend the Kingdom’s bylaws regarding juveniles and banning the arrest of juvenile offenders unless they are caught red-handed, according to sources who spoke to the Okaz newspaper.

The Kingdom’s Juvenile Law, which was approved in 2018 by King Salman according to the Saudi Gazette newspaper, currently has 13 legal articles.

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The expected changes to the law come months after the Kingdom officially said it would no longer use the death sentence for individuals who committed crimes while still minors under 18 years of age.

“In the event of the arrest of a juvenile delinquent, after catching him red-handed, his guardian or his representative should be notified about it immediately by the available means. Then a crime report shall be prepared in which all the necessary data shall be recorded and the minor culprit shall be taken to the juvenile home immediately after his arrest,” the Saudi Gazette, a sister newspaper of Okaz, reported.

The new bylaw will instruct authorities not to arrest a juvenile who was not caught red-handed if he appears ill or faces similar situations, the newspaper added.

The changes to the law will also ban the use of chains and shackles while arresting a juvenile except in the cases of resistance.

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