The report indicated a number of measures that have affected the temporary detention
centers in the Kingdom. the Report also contained important recommendations for the
development of the custodial environment, ,most notably; providing due process guarantees
to detainees, including, guaranteeing detainees’ right of contact with the outside world and
to receive visitors from his family and friends, his right of access to a lawyer, adherence to
the legal text relating that stipulates the statuary period of police custody of 24- hours so as
not to hold offenders in custody for long periods that exceeds one week on the basis of the
Crimes Prevention Law, keeping accurate and regular records in detention facilities,
especially in police stations, that include the time and place of arrest, and the identity of the
personnel, and the actual place of detention, and the health status of the person upon arrival
to the detention center, and the time of the contact with the family and the lawyer, and the
time to visit the detained person, and information on medical examinations upon arrival to
the center and upon transfer.
The Center call for redrafting of national legislations and explicitly provide for these
guarantees, noting that the complaints received and followed up by the National Center for
Human Rights assert the lack of full compliance with the obligation to provide such
guarantees during the initial stages of detention.
17- With regard to the Crimes Prevention Act No. 7 of 1954, which grants competence to the
administrative authority to arrest individuals and deprive them of their liberty on the basis of
administrative decisions issued by local governors, NCHR stresses the need to repeal the Law
because it contravenes Article 128 of the constitution, which is considered a controller for the
national legislations affecting the rights and freedoms, as well as the stipulations that promote
the judicial independence.
NCHR views that the Crimes Prevention Law should be abolished and/or to repeal the powers
vested in local governors relating to detention, and limit these powers in the judiciary or
amending the provisions of the Law so as to impose judicial security on the administrative
detention decisions, and in the arrest powers vested in local governors, until it is repealed.
The year 2016, witnessed an increase in the number of the administrative detainees, reaching
(30138) persons, compared to (19860) persons in 2015, (20216) in 2014, (12766) persons in
2013, and (12410) persons in 2012, and (11345) persons in 2011.
Right to a fair trial and independence of the judiciary (art. 14)
18- First: Amendments to the State Security Court law, promulgated in early 2014, restricted
the jurisdiction of the Court to crimes related to treason, espionage, terrorism, drugs, or
money counterfeiting.
However, there still a number of challenges that curtail the enjoyment of the right of fair
trial. Notable among these are:
1- The continued operation of the State Security Law, despite the constant demands by
the Center for amending the provisions that contradict the international human rights
standards, in particular; the Prime Minister is empowered to establish this court,
which means the interference of the executive branch in the in the work of the
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