Early release denied for prostitutes who killed their madame

Dubai Criminal Court for the second time deniesdan early release for two women who killed their boss .

DUBAI // Two prostitutes who killed their madame and then burnt her dead body to cover-up their crime had their second early release request denied by Dubai Criminal Court.

E P, who was 26 at the time, from Kazakhstan, and Uzbek M M, who was 21 at the time, were convicted of premeditated murder in 1998 along with a male accomplice, A R.

Court records stated that the women were brought to the UAE by the madame, Elena Babej, to work in the sex industry.

Babej, whose age and nationality are not mentioned, confiscated the women’s passports and had them live with her in an apartment in Al Muraqqabat, Deira, where she would take most of their income from selling their bodies.

The women conspired with a man friend to kill the madame and did so on the night of March 25, 1998, when she was asleep.

At Dubai Criminal Court in June 1998, they denied a premeditated murder charge. The women, however, confessed to being prostitutes and M M and A R confessed to having consensual sex, as well as consuming alcohol.

The three were convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison, which is a 25-year term. A R and M M each received an additional 18 months for the sex and alcohol charges, while E P and M M were given six months for prostituting themselves.

In July 2013, when the women had served 15 years in jail, they applied for early release based on good behaviour but were turned down by the court, which ordered they complete their sentences.

Records did not mention if A R applied for a similar request.

As per the law, they had to wait another year to request again but this second request has now also been denied.