Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki

Twelve percent of those who had participated in government-run rehabilitation programs for terrorism have relapsed and returned to terror-related activities, a Ministry of Interior official has revealed.

Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said officials at the Prince Muhammad bin Naif Center for Counseling and Care are now trying to determine the causes for these failures.

However, he said the program has been largely successful. Over the past two years more than 2,500 people had participated in the programs, with 80 percent not returning to terrorist activities, he said.

Al-Turki rejected the notion that the program itself caused some to relapse and take part in terror-related activities in the Kingdom. “Without the program, thousands of those who were released would have been exploited by terrorist organizations,” he said.

He said the task of staff at the center is to determine why the 12 percent relapsed. “We will use the findings to reduce relapses.” No rehabilitation program could be 100 percent successful, he said.

Al-Turki said the center recently launched online counseling programs for citizens and residents. Those using the site must abide by the ministry’s rules to debate in a polite manner and respect the views and feelings of others. No one is allowed to ridicule or insult anyone, he said. The website does not allow links to other sites or services.

The ministry announced earlier that 90 people graduated from rehabilitation programs in Riyadh and Jeddah this year. All graduates would undergo follow-up programs to ensure they integrate properly into society.

 
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