The Punishment for One Who Steals a Free Person

Question:
O son of the Shaykh, is it not the case that punishing the one who steals a free person must be more severe than punishing the one who steals a slave?

Answer:
And it is obligatory to impose a discretionary punishment and discipline if he stole him to commit a shameful act; that is another matter, and it is more severe. But if he stole him in order to sell him, because in some countries they steal children and take them to sell them, then there is a severe warning for him: His opponent will be the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Resurrection; he will confront him on the Day of Resurrection: Why did you do this act? And whoever has the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as his opponent, it is not permissible to sell free people. And whoever does this and it is established against him, he is to be given a deterrent discretionary punishment.