The Commission for the Promotion and Prevention of Vice in Saudi Arabia ordered the interior ministry to arrest several individuals on grounds of atheism and apostasy earlier this month. Although the Commission did not divulge details of the people whose arrests it had requested, it did say that the arrests had to be made because they had insulted Allah and Prophet Mohammed.

In a detailed report about its work and achievements, the Commission said that it works closely with the Telecommunication and Information Department to ensure pornographic websites are shut down across the country. Apart from these websites, the Commission also monitors sites dedicated to atheism and apostasy, making sure that they too are shut down upon being identified.

“This coordination has led to shutting down several sites for violating rules and regulations,” said a spokesperson for the Commission.

The list of violations in the Commission’s report included misleading computer and mobile applications as well as erroneous versions of the Quran. Reportedly, the Commission has set up a special unit to tackle cybercrimes and this unit has been enhancing its capabilities with the help of its regional offices.

In the last one year, the Commission has received 9,341 complaints against pornographic websites, 2,734 complaints against websites that promote atheism and 132 complaints against cyber blackmailing.

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