7-year jail term upheld for Pakistani duo who forced teens into prostitution in Bahrain

A Pakistani man and woman have lost their appeal against a seven-year prison sentence and a BD2,000 fine for trafficking two teenage sisters and forcing them into prostitution in Bahrain. The couple, aged 32 and 40, brought the 16 and 17-year-old sisters to Bahrain through Saudi Arabia, where they exploited them for sex work. The High Criminal Court had previously found them guilty of depriving the girls of their freedom, coercing them into prostitution with threats of violence, and living off the proceeds of their exploitation. In addition to imprisonment and a fine, the court ordered their deportation after their sentences are served and mandated they cover the victims' return travel costs.

The defendants appealed the verdict to the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, but the original ruling was upheld. Court testimony revealed that an unidentified individual known as "Rana" had promised the older sister an opportunity to earn money, leading to their travel to Bahrain. Upon arrival, the defendants allegedly preyed on the sisters' financial difficulties. They housed the minors in a Juffair hotel and forced them to engage with clients in exchange for money, which the defendants then confiscated. The sisters reported that their initial resistance was met with repeated threats, confinement in a room for days, and manipulation to make them dependent on the income generated from their exploitation.

The case surfaced after the Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate received a report. Authorities initiated an investigation, confirmed the girls were being forced into sex work against their will, apprehended the suspects, and rescued the victims. The upheld sentence underscores Bahrain's stance against human trafficking and exploitation, ensuring perpetrators face significant legal consequences.

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the pair had been promised an opportunity to earn money by an unidentified person known only as “Rana” and had travelled to Bahrain for that purpose.