Local Affairs Editor
The Attorney General, head of the Advisor Trafficking Prosecution, confirmed
D. Ali Al -Shuwaikh, that the Kingdom of Bahrain was the first Arab country that established a specialized public prosecutor to combat the crimes of trafficking in persons, by a decision issued by the Attorney General in 2020, in response to the directives of the High Command, and a direct follow -up from His Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, explaining that Bahrain has developed many of its capabilities in this context, including the development of the capabilities of its cadres to monitor the victims of trafficking in the outlets. Television with the Bahrain channel, that the establishment of the specialized prosecution reflects the Kingdom’s awareness of the privacy and complexity of this type of crime, which is one of the most dangerous and most common human rights violations of human rights, pointing out that Bahrain has maintained its classification within the first category in the US State Department report on combating people trafficking for the seventh year in a row. Issues, hearing the statements of witnesses, collecting evidence, and moving to the crime scene, in addition to coordination with other prosecutions such as appeal, implementation, financial crimes and money laundering, given that trafficking crimes are often transient, and intertwined with other crimes. He confirmed close cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, especially the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons and Protection of Public Arts, stressing that the prosecution does not work alone, Within a national system that includes security, health, workers and societal bodies. Al -Shuwaikh said that Bahrain established early “national referral mechanism” that is concerned with how to identify trafficking victims, whether potential or actual, through security authorities, health crews, civil society organizations, and others. He added: “Sometimes the victim is identified through manifestations such as detention of wages, or injuries Or signs of violence, or by checking the documents and questions in the border ports, where the judicial seizure officers are trained in these indicators. Ali Al -Shuwaikh that Bahraini law guarantees an integrated package of protection for the victims, including legal, psychological and health support, providing lawyers when needed, and following up the implementation of shelter decisions if issued by the Public Prosecution. He also indicated the establishment of the “Protection Office of the victims and witnesses” in the Public Prosecution, to provide the necessary protection through procedures such as blocking data, changing addresses, ensuring the safety of the witness or the victim from any threats or impact External. On how to balance the firmness in the application of the law and respect for human rights, Al -Shuwaikh said: “The application of the law in its entirety is the way to achieve justice and protect the rights, whether the rights of the victims or the rights of the accused, where the principle of the presumption of innocence is activated, and the provision of all legal guarantees for the accused. As a result of collective work and fruitful cooperation between state institutions.
