Law of Imprisonment and Detention

Purpose and scope

• Governs serving prison sentences in prisons and holding detainees in detention centres, under the General Directorate of Prisons (Articles 1, 2 and 3).

Key rules, rights and obligations

• No one may be placed in, moved from or released from a prison or detention centre except by a written order of the competent authority, nor kept beyond the set period (Article 7).
• A prisoner serving more than four years must pass through a transition period before release, counted as part of the sentence (Article 11).
• A pregnant prisoner receives special treatment until forty days after giving birth (Article 13), and her child may stay with her until age two (Article 15).
• The prison must enable religious practice (Article 17), and a detailed medical report is required if a prisoner dies (Article 23).

Violations, penalties and common problems

• Penalties for breaching prison rules: solitary confinement of up to fifteen days, or loss of privileges such as visits and correspondence (Article 20 as amended).
• Bringing weapons or drugs into a prison, or helping or attempting a prisoner's escape: up to five years' imprisonment, aggravated if the offender is prison staff (Article 29).

Procedures and key deadlines

• The Minister of Interior may grant conditional release to a prisoner who has served three-quarters of the sentence with good conduct, unless release endangers public security (Article 25 as amended).
• Each prisoner is searched on entry, and money and valuables are deposited with the prison (Article 8).

An advisory summary prepared by Al-Bayan Al-Wadih Law Firm. It is not an official text and does not replace the law, its implementing regulations, or advice from a specialised lawyer. The official published text and its amendments prevail.