Selling selfies with snakes: Court acquits snake breeder

The Second High Criminal (Appeals) Court on Wednesday acquitted a Bahraini man who was previously convicted for allowing people to snap pictures with exotic animals illegally for money. A total of 13 snakes and 29 lizards were recovered from his home by the police following a raid. Court files say, he allowed people, mainly children in the neighbourhood, to take pictures with the reptiles for BD5 per picture. The 40-year-old was arrested last December from his home in Isa Town after police monitored him for seven days. On 1 December 2018, the Public Prosecution referred him to the criminal court for practising a commercial activity without obtaining a license from the concerned authorities. Finding the man guilty of the charges, the court fined him BD1,000.

However, the man’s lawyer, Ghaleb Al Shuraiti, argued that police arrested the suspect without following proper procedures. The raid, according to the lawyer, wasn’t authorised by the ministry of commercial affairs, as required by the law. The lawyer also told the court that the prosecution failed to submit necessary evidence to support their claims that the suspect was charging BD5 per picture taken with the reptiles. Al Shuraiti told the court that his client is an animal breeder and has started breeding snakes and lizards as a hobby more than a decade ago.

The lawyer also rejected the claims of ‘practising commercial activity’ citing reports appeared about the man and his hobby in the national television and local press. Claims that the animals were smuggled were also rejected by the lawyer, explaining that they were bought from the Isa Town traditional market and is now collectively worth around BD5,000. Accepting the man’s appeal, the court acquitted him of all charges.