The Saudi Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it has joined the newly formed national committee to combat human trafficking. The committee, which is part of the Saudi human rights commission, includes representatives from several state institutions. The representation of the Saudi justice ministry in the initiative falls in line with the role the Saudi judiciary plays in combating human trafficking. Several court rulings in Saudi Arabia have revealed the judiciary’s firmness in handling human trafficking cases under Saudi and international law and regulations. The system imposes the penalties stated in the Anti-Human Trafficking Law, including sentencing those who have committed human trafficking crimes to up to 15 years, a fine of up to SAR1 million, or both. The law increases the penalties if the crime was committed by an organized criminal group, or against women and children or persons with special needs, or if the perpetrator used a weapon or threatened to use it, or he/she is the victims spouse, ascendant, descendant or sponsor; has authority over him or her, or is a law enforcement employee; or if the crime was committed by several perpetrators, or has a transnational crime, and caused serious harm to the victim. “Under a decision by the Supreme Judicial Council, human trafficking cases are heard by the criminal panels of the competent first instance or appellate court,” said spokesperson of the Ministry of Justice Muhammad al-Mutlaq. “This decision is part of the continuous efforts for specialized judiciary in line with international conventions,” al-Mutlaq added.