RIYADH, 31 July 2021, (TON): Kingdom’s attorney general has said that Saudi Arabia’s Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution will not tolerate trafficking in persons and will take legal measures against the perpetrators of such crimes.

Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujib said that the victims of such crimes would receive special attention from the competent care authorities.

His statement was made in response to World Day Against Trafficking on July 30.

Al-Mujib said “the Saudi state, since its inception, has been protecting rights and freedoms from all forms of crime and exploitation, emphasizing the Basic Law of Governance and all the systems in force in the Kingdom and international treaties and charters, and designated an independent system concerned with this crime, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law.”

He said “the Public Prosecution is responsible for filing a criminal case against violators of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law, as well as inspecting and monitoring shelters for victims of trafficking in persons in order to protect them.”

The system stipulates a number of severe penalties for those who carry out any of the criminal descriptions.

The bureau has also allocated an independent department to investigate such crimes and undertake the related procedures to deal with them.

Meanwhile, president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC), Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, said that the Kingdom was at the forefront of anti-trafficking efforts.

He said that the Kingdom was deeply committed to the protection and promotion of human rights. It had focused on criminalizing and combating trafficking in persons crimes through a variety of measures and procedures that guaranteed human dignity and protected against all forms of degradation and exploitation.

Al-Awwad said “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the direction of King Salman and the supervision of the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, has made progress in its ranking on TIP (Trafficking In Persons) index reports putting itself on par with developed countries.”