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Riyadh: In what is seen by observers as a move to absorb and calm the anger of Saudi society and media over the behaviour of squads belonging to the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice [religious police] in Saudi Arabia, the Commission's chairman revealed that the activities of his field personnel are under scrutiny.
Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Abdullah Al Gaith, the Commission's chairman told the official Saudi Press agency (SPA), in remarks published yesterday, that committees have been set up to study all aspects related to the Commission's field work.
He added that work is in progress to create an urgent mechanism to develop work procedures and evaluate all matters that lead to shortcomings in the Commission's field operations.
During the past few years, the Commission has come under attack by the media and citizens who questioned whether the Commission's personnel abide by the law.
This criticism has culminated in the past few weeks, following reports that a Saudi man in Riyadh was beaten to death by a squad of the Commission on allegations that he dealt in alcohol. Another Saudi, in his early fifties, collapsed while in custody at a detention cell in Tabuk - in the northern part of the Kingdom. He died while on his way to hospital. The man's relatives told Saudi local press that he was tortured while in the hands of the religious police. Shaikh Ebrahim pointed out that the new move is part of a comprehensive scheme that began last year and aims at developing the field activities of the Commission, identifying and solving errors committed by field personnel.
Studies
He added that studies are being conducted by the research and consultative services institute of the Riyadh-based Imam Mohammad Bin Saudi Islamic University. He expressed hope that the studies, in their final stages, would yield positive results in creating new means for the work of the Commission, eliminate errors and upgrade the level of monitoring of the tasks assigned to the Commission's personnel.
The Commission's chief noted that the Commission is part of society, deals strictly with all errors committed by personnel and cooperates with all concerned bodies in this regard.
Work is in progress to create an urgent mechanism to ... evaluate all matters that lead to shortcomings in the Commission.
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