DUBAI // Two Afghan men have been charged with the premeditated murder of a Uzbeki prostitute at the flat she shared with another alleged prostitute. The defendant A A, 40, was romantically involved with the victim, M H, according to records, while I H, 30, allegedly met her for the first time on the night of her murder. The victim's flatmate, N A, 42, was charged with prostitution at the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance.
The men went to the apartment in February and had sex with N A and the victim, NA told prosecutors. A A was upset when he came to the flat because the victim had engaged in relationships with many Afghan men, which made him uneasy. N A heard the victim's screams and was wrestling with I H, who punched her and locked her in the bathroom as she tried to help her flatmate, she said. A relative said that A A asked him to give him Dh6,000 (US$1,600) to help him escape after he said that he had killed a Russian woman in Dubai. Investigators found the men seeking refuge in a bakery in Sharjah.
The court was told DNA from A A and I H was found at the crime scene. While police had said the three defendants had confessed to the charges made against them, N A and the two men denied the charges in court. The case was adjourned to June 22. amustafa@thenational.ae