A group of trans women have had their heads shaved and jailed in a male prison in Malaysia.

The 16 women, who were sentenced on Monday (9 June), have already served two days in prison.

It followed their arrest at a wedding in Bahau, Jempol, because the religious police said the women and one other were violating Sharia law.

The other escaped jail, as she was under the age of 18, but will be counselled for a year to ‘cure’ her condition.

While they have been given the option of bail, they would have had to pay 1,500 ringgits ($470, €350) each.

Transgender rights group Justice For Sisters claimed the women were pressured into giving up their appeal for reduced sentence.

Nisha Ayub, a JFS activist, told The Malay Mail Online that if they wanted bail, they would have had to have both parents’ consent.

‘It was a very harsh situation,’ she said. ‘They are not yet out to their family members. This town is quite small, news can spread quickly and they didn’t want that for their parents.’

She said all the women had their heads shaved and unanimously decided to complete the sentence.

Sharia law in the Malaysian state ‘bans any male person who, in any public place, wears a woman’s attire or poses as a woman.’