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31 January 2023

10 Rajab 1444

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Law No. 11 of 2004 Issuing the Penal Code

Law Summary Record Type: LawNumber: 11Date: 10/05/2004 Corresponding to 21/03/1425 HijriNumber of Articles: 401Status: In force

Official Gazette :Issue: 7Offcial Journal Issue Publication Date: 30/05/2004 Corresponding to 11/04/1425 HijriPage from: 53

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Calumny, Defamation and Secret Disclosure

326 Article

Whoever, by accusing somebody of committing a legally punishable crime, or harms dignity or honor thereof or exposes him to public disdain and malice, is said to defame that person and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years and/or a fine not exceeding ten thousand Qatari Riyals (QR 10.000).
327 Article

Whoever defames a public employee because of their job or occupation, or if the offence damages the reputation of the family shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years in prison and a fine not exceeding twenty thousand Qatari Riyals (20.000QR) or one of these two penalties.

Nothing is defamation in the following cases:

1- If the accused can prove the occurrence of the incident and that it was attributed to a public employee and the incident is related to public service.

2- Informing in good faith the judicial or administrative authorities a matter rendering the doer thereof legally liable

3- Where the litigants' verbal or written defense before the law courts or investigation authorities includes libel or slander to the extent of the right of defense.
328 Article
329 Article

Whoever curses a third party in public through the use of improper words affecting their honor and dignity shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year in prison and/or a fine not exceeding five thousand Qatari Riyals (5.000QR).
330 Article

Whoever defames or insults the victim face to face and not in public, or by phone, or in a written letter, or in another indirect way shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months in prison and a fine not exceeding one thousand Riyals (1.000QR), or one of these two penalties.
331 Article

Whoever spreads news, photographs or comments related to a person's private life, or that of his family, even if true shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding a year in prison and a fine not exceeding five thousand Qatari Riyals (5.000QR), or one of these two penalties.
332 Article

Whoever, knowingly and illegally divulges a secret entrusted thereto in his official capacity, trade, profession in conditions other than those prescribed by the law or uses it for his personal benefit or for the benefit of another person, without the consent of the person concerned with the secret, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years in prison and/or a fine of no more ten thousand Riyals (QR 10.000).
333 Article

Whoever illegally intrudes into another person's private life and without their consent through one of the following means, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year in prison and/or a fine not exceeding five thousand Riyals (QR 5.000):
1. Opens a letter or telegram against the will of the addressee or eavesdrop on a telephone conversation.
2. Records or transmits conversations that take place in a private place or through any type of device.
3. Takes or transmits somebody's photographs or photographs of other persons in a private place using any type of device.