Summary: RIYADH: A Saudi lawyer has raised concerns at a recent Ministry of Culture and Information announcement that requires anyone who writes for the Web to register with it.
By WALAA HAWARI | ARAB NEWS
Badr Al-Jaafari said the new regulations are incompatible with the nature of the Internet and that the Council of Ministers has not ratified the ministry's decision.
Al-Jaafari said executive bodies, such as the Ministry of Culture and Information, do not have the right to issue legislative laws independently, even though the ministry claims it does have approval for the new rules.
Al-Jaafari said it is essential for any regulatory system involved in resolving disputes and issuing penalties to have a legislative committee that is higher than the body -- in this case the Ministry of Culture and Information -- overseeing it.
He also said the regulation does not provide a method of contesting any of the ministry's moves to block or censure online publications, and that he feels clauses in the regulation seem incompatible with its aims.
The regulation requires all electronic publishers acquire licenses from the ministry to establish the liability and responsibility of publications.
Al-Jaafari said this is one step toward limiting freedom of speech, especially since the approval requires the applicant has a high school certificate in the least and documents testifying good conduct.
Al-Jaafari concluded that electronic publications are not confined to a limited sector of Saudi society and that the Kingdom is witnessing huge growth in the number of Internet users and social networks activists who are aware of their rights.
Therefore, he said, it is unfair for the ministry to be the sole organizer and regulator of such a controversial issue without the wider consultation of other people involved.
The new requirements were announced at the first seminar organized by Riyadh's Adabi Cultural Center by Spokesman for the Ministry of Culture and Information Abdul Rahman Al-Hazzaa.
Speaking at the event, Al-Hazzaa said that restrictions that do not apply to the print media would not be imposed on the electronic media. He also said that any offending websites would be blocked, even if they depend on foreign servers.
"It is hard for us to close down an electronic publication even for one hour, but sometimes there is no other option," he said.
The regulations also specify punishments in case of violations; these include the obligatory publishing of corrections, fines and bans for various time periods, including total bans. Online newspapers also need to employ editors in chief that have been approved by the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Abdul Aziz Khoja, minister of information and culture, said that the system is "in line with the development moves that the media sector is witnessing."
He added that the rules do not include any clauses restricting freedom of speech and that the ministry is eager to ensure there is transparency. He also said that the rules would be made open for improvement in the future.
Copyright: Arab News 2011 All rights reserved.
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