Gang who kidnapped woman and demanded Dh2.5m ransom will see out jail term

Three women and a man who were convicted of kidnapping a Moroccan women, filming her naked and demanding Dh2.5 million in ransom from her brother, must see out their three-year jail terms, Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.

DUBAI // Three women and a man who kidnapped a Moroccan women, filmed her naked and demanded Dh2.5 million in ransom have lost appeals against their three-year jail terms.

The victim, 29, was attacked as she waited for a taxi in Al Nahda on September 19, 2015. She was pushed into a car by the women, aged between 23 and 26, and an Egyptian businessman, 30, and driven to a nearby flat.

Her passport was torn up and she was slapped repeatedly before being forced to strip. The Egyptian filmed her without her clothes on and made her say unethical words, then sent the video to her brother in Morocco.

She was forced to call her brother and tell him to pay 7 million Moroccan dirhams (Dh2.5m) to the husband of one of the kidnappers or they would post the video online.

Her brother agreed to send the money within two days then called a friend in Dubai and told him what had happened. The friend reported the matter to police who raided the flat about 11pm on September 21.

The three women and the Egyptian were convicted of kidnapping, physical assault, sexual assault, issuing threats, blackmail and deliberately damaging an official document.

They denied the charges against them at Dubai Criminal Court but will be deported after serving their terms.