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A NEWLY-WED was forced into prostitution on honeymoon by her brutal husband when their romantic vacation turned into a ‘holiday from hell’, a court heard.
A 39-year-old Syrian appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday, where he denied human trafficking, assault and holding his victim captive.
Two other men – fellow nationals aged 21 and 49 – are accused of aiding and abetting him. They also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The couple married in Syria in August and arranged to honeymoon in Bahrain.
However, his blushing bride did not know that instead of a romantic break she was being lured into the vice trade.
They touched down at Bahrain International Airport on September 18 and headed for a hotel in Juffair where the terrified woman was locked in a room and forced her to have sex with men for money, according to court documents.
She managed to flee her captors on October 15 and reported her ordeal to the police.
The 25-year-old Syrian victim described how her honeymoon turned into a ‘holiday from hell’ when she discovered that her husband had allegedly lured her into the country to force her into prostitution.
“We got married in Syria in August and everything was fine at the start,” she told prosecutors. “My husband told me that we would honeymoon in Bahrain and I was excited – it was my first trip abroad.
“When we arrived to the country my husband was met by a man (defendant aged 49) at Bahrain International Airport. His other friend (defendant aged 21) met us later.
“I stayed with my husband in an apartment in Manama for 10 days before we moved to a hotel in Juffair.”
The victim described how she threatened to commit suicide after her husband insisted that she had sex with men for money.
“My husband told me that his friends (co-defendants) wanted me to have sex with men for money,” she added. “I shed tears and told him that I would kill myself, but he struck my head against the table and assaulted me.
“He warned me not to go to the embassy or tell the police, or else he would torture me and take me home to Syria where I would be killed.
“I had to succumb to their wishes and had to wear make-up and wait for men seeking sex to come to my hotel room.
“I only managed to flee after they had forced me to have sex with several men.
I cannot believe the nightmare I was living in and the honeymoon holiday from hell.”
The trial has been adjourned until Monday for review.
noorz@gdnmedia.bh
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