Business & Money | Saturday 31 January, 2015 12:25 pm |

Minister of Justice Mohammed Al-Issa said Thursday that human trafficking is a major criminal act according to Islamic law and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to SR10 million.

The minister made this remark during a meeting at his office in Riyadh with a delegation from the US State Department. During the meeting, the minister briefed the American officials of the Kingdom’s efforts in its fight against this global phenomenon.

The US team was headed by Alison Friedman. A State Department source said that the activity is part of the US global engagement against human trafficking, an umbrella term used to describe the activities involved when someone obtains or holds a person in compelled service.

According to Al-Issa, Saudi Arabia takes severe actions against this crime as it violates Islamic teachings that emphasize human dignity, which is God-given, and that the regulations and procedures applied to that crime are derived from the Shariah.

Al-Issa stressed that Saudi Arabia has branded this crime, legislatively and judicially, as one that violates all human values and ethics.
He suggested that human rights reports in this regard be based on an integrated monitoring and documentation of sources, avoiding accepting one-sided information.
He said the discussion with the US delegation comes within the framework of friendly relations and mutual understanding between the two countries.

The minister noted that cases of human trafficking in Saudi Arabia are very few, going by the size of the country's population. This means it is not a phenomenon, he argued.
Friedman said that human history has been replete with humanitarian tragedies stemming from slavery and other forms of human trafficking. She also expressed her appreciation of the team's meeting here with Al-Issa.