E-crimes law takes effect January 12: Attorney General
KUWAIT: Attorney General Chancellor Dherar Al-Asousi stressed that the media and information prosecution, which is part of the Public Prosecution, would be responsible for investigating all the cases included in the new ‘Electronic Crimes Law’ number 63/2015 that is due to take effect by January 12, 2016.
Asousi explained that the media and information prosecution would be responsible for handling and investigating such crimes to decide whether to shelf or refer them to court. Furthermore, Asousi said that according to the law, the public prosecution would be responsible to investigate various e-crimes including those committed using various social media networks and the internet.
Notably, Asousi had issued a directive explaining the violations to be dealt with as crimes and those to be dealt with as misdemeanors. According to the directive, crimes like conspiring to topple the regime would be penalized by a maximum of ten years in prison, creating websites for or promoting human trafficking would be penalized by a maximum of seven years imprisonment and a KD 10,000-30,000 fine and that money laundering would be penalized by a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a minimum of KD 20,000 fine. “Those accused of creating websites promoting terrorist organizations or individuals or manufacture explosives and materials used in terrorist acts would be penalized by a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a KD 20,00050,000 fine,” he added, pointing out that a maximum six month imprisonment and a KD 500 - 2000 fine was set for unauthorized access to any account. —Al-Jarida