Man tries to sell son on Facebook for $20m to pay off debts

A Saudi man is trying to sell his son for around US$ 20 million through Facebook to avoid “living in poverty” after his illegal business was shut down.

Saud bin Nasser Al Shahry claims trafficking his son is the only option to continue providing for his wife and daughter. He said that he is willing to go to court to complete the sale, the only condition of which is to know which city the buyer lives in.

According to Qatari news outlet Al Sharq, Al Shahry made the decision after first asking whether the authorities could help him financially when his illegal debt-collection business was shut down by a court, the Daily Mail reported.

Apparently, he was denied the request because he was older than 35. It is not clear whether his actions are merely a publicity stunt or, if genuine, whether he would be able to carry out the sale without redress.

Human trafficking is an offence in Saudi Arabia, but the country does not comply with minimum international standards, the US Department of State revealed. Facebook is also unlikely to allow such a sale through its website.

According to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, users “will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else’s rights or otherwise violates the law.”