TDT | Manama
Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain’s High Court of Appeal has begun hearing the appeal of an Arab man in his 50s and his young son against a 10-year prison sentence handed down in absentia.
The defendants were found guilty of trafficking girls from their home countries.
The defendant appeared in court with his wife, daughters, and the second defendant’s son.
The defendant claimed that his involvement in the case was merely to provide the victim with temporary lodging for one day at his home with his wife and daughters due to a dispute with her husband, and that he had no knowledge of the human trafficking activity. . .
The victim officially married the second defendant in an Arab country. He took her to Bahrain for her honeymoon, but forced her into prostitution.
She also claimed that the convicted man, in his 50s, and his son forced her to engage in illegal activities and assisted them by entertaining her and transporting her to clients.
The case was referred to the court, and the husband was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The defendant, a man in his 50s, and his son were also sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison.
The two defendants appealed the verdict, and the defendant, a man in his 50s, appeared in court with his son and his wife as witnesses and denied the charges.
He explained that he had been in Bahrain for several years and had business activities in addition to his own company in several foreign countries.