Riyadh  - Saudi cleric Saleh al-Luhaidan, chairman of the Saudi Supreme Judicial Council, has issued a fatwa permitting the murder of the owners of Arabic satellite TV channels which broadcast programmes that encourage immorality, media reports said Friday.

The Dubai-based al-Arabiya news channel broadcasted a sound recording of al-Luhaidan speaking to a Saudi radio station.

The Saudi cleric said that these satellite channels caused the "deviance of thousands of people" as they show "seduction, obscenity and vulgarity."

"Certainly it's permitted to kill those who encourage corrupt beliefs," al-Luhaidan said, without specifying any particular channel.

Several TV networks are owned by Saudi princes, including Prince al-Waleed bin Talal, who owns a famous entertainment network.

Talal was ranked by Forbes among the 20 richest people in the world.

A fatwa is a religious opinion issued by an Islamic scholar on daily life issues, however it is not as binding as the law. (dpa)