TWO men jailed for life in connection with human trafficking have lost their final appeals.
The Bangladeshi men, aged 30 and 37, were found guilty by the High Criminal Court in January this year of running a human trafficking ring, rape and holding their victims captive.
They were jailed for life, which in Bahrain means 25 years in prison.
The defendants are said to have lured their victims by promising them better-paying jobs, and rented an apartment in Manama which was used as a prostitution den.
They held two Indonesian women captive and forced them into the vice trade.
One of the victims managed to alert a car cleaner by pouring water out of a window of the apartment where she was locked up for months.
The 36-year-old housemaid then escaped and reported her ordeal to prosecutors, adding that the abuse continued for three months, from June to August last year.
The defendants lodged appeals against their convictions at the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court which were rejected in July.
A final appeal lodged at the Cassation Court was rejected yesterday.
“The defendants were arrested after the 36-year-old alerted a passerby who took her to a police station to file a complaint,” read the final court ruling.
“The victim said she needed a better-paying job and agreed to meet the Bangladeshi man (defendant aged 37).
“Another Bangladeshi (the 30-year-old defendant) then picked her up and took her to an apartment in Manama.”
The victim described to authorities how another Indonesian woman, 40, was forced to lure her; the defendants threatened to kill her if she did not obey them.
“The 36-year-old said the defendants forced her into the vice trade and threatened to stab her with a knife if she refused.
“The victim said that the defendants raped her and filmed the abuse on a mobile phone.”
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