Dubai: A man and a woman were each sentenced to ten years in jail after a court convicted them of human trafficking. The two Iraqis were found guilty of sexually exploiting three girls and forcing them into prostitution.

The Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday jailed the 38-year-old man, R.A., and his female accomplice, E.A., after the jury found them guilty of forcing the girls, also Iraqis, to work in a brothel.

Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir, who pronounced Sunday's judgment, also acquitted five girls of working in the sex trade.

The court also jailed an Emirati government employee, A.M., for one year after he was convicted of collaborating with R.A. and E.A. to bring the girls [who were later forced into prostitution] into the country illegally.

R.A., an executive manager, and E.A., a housewife, will both be deported after serving their terms.

"I am not guilty. I didn't run a prostitution den at all. The girls came to Dubai before I came here," argued R.A. when he defended himself in court.

A 16-year-old Iraqi girl, who R.A. illegally brought into Dubai, stated: "I entered the country as E.A.'s daughter. They paid my family some money and brought me herein to attend dancing parties. R.A. organised those parties and forced me to have sex with men for money, which he pocketed."

Prosecutors charged R.A. and E.A. [who is still at large] with sexually exploiting the 16 year old and two other girls, aged 22 and 20.

R.A. and E.A. were charged with forcing the three girls into the sex trade against their will under duress, threat and assault.

Additional charge

According to the arraignment sheet, the Iraqi couple were additionally charged with running a prostitution racket involving five other Iraqi women. The five women were, however, acquitted.

R.A. was also charged with influencing 30-year-old A.M. by allowing him two escorts in return for his assistance in perpetuating the racket.

Three Iraqi women denied working as prostitutes. One of them, 29-year-old I.R., said: "We are all innocent. We didn't work as prostitutes, but R.A. forced us to have sex with men against our will and under all sorts of duress and threat."

Y.H., 21, claimed: "He forcefully compelled us to work as prostitutes."

The primary judgment is subject to appeal within 15 days.