Dubai: Six women and three men were handed varying jail terms for confining a salon worker in an apartment, filming her naked and demanding Dh700,000 as ransom.

The six women — five Moroccans and an Ethiopian — and three Egyptian men played different roles in the kidnap of the 29-year-old Moroccan salon worker, confining her in the flat where she was beaten, tortured, abused and filmed naked after being forced to strip in the incident that happened in September.

A 26-year-old Moroccan hairdresser, W.S., forwarded the video to the salon worker’s brother in Morocco.

In an obvious extortion attempt, W.S. forwarded the video via WhatsApp to the brother, who was asked to pay around Dh700,000 against his sister’s [the 29-year-old woman] release.

The Dubai Court of First Instance jailed W.S., her two countrywomen and an Egyptian defendant, T.A., for three years each.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal sentenced the two other Moroccan women and the Ethiopian to two years in jail each for aiding and abetting.

Meanwhile the remaining Egyptian defendants were jailed for one year each.

“All the defendants will be deported following the completion of their punishments,” said presiding judge Jamal.

The brother asked his friend, a Dubai-based chauffeur, to report the matter to police and provided the police with a copy of the video.

The victim testified that the incident happened after she left a shopping centre and was heading to her home in Sharjah at 8pm.

“I was waiting for a taxi when a car stopped beside me ... I was forced into the car and later confined in the flat. I was beaten, insulted, cursed, tied up, denied food and left in an unhygienic condition. W.S. and the others forced me to undress, filmed me and forced me to say that I am a dirty woman … she then forwarded the video to my brother to blackmail him. She also called him from her mobile phone and made me ask him to give the money to her brother,” the victim claimed.

The chauffeur said the brother called him from Morocco and asked for help.

“My friend informed me about the kidnap and ransom issue … he forwarded me a copy of the video and images on WhatsApp. I contacted Dubai Police’s Al Ameen Service. I was guided to lodge a police complaint which I did immediately,” he claimed.

A police lieutenant testified that police raided the apartment and arrested the defendants.

Tuesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.