Dubai: Two men lost their appeal and will spend seven years in jail for kidnapping and raping two saleswomen who escorted them into a nightclub where single men were refused entry.

The Emirati men, D.S. and S.S., met the women, a Moldovan and a Ukrainian, at the entrance to the nightclub on Shaikh Zayed Road in September 2013.

After they talked the women into driving them home, they kidnapped them and took them to a remote area where they raped them.

In February, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the defendants of kidnap and rape.

The Emiratis appealed the seven-year jail term and pleaded not guilty when they contended before the Appeal Court that they had paid sex with the women.

Their lawyers argued that the Moldovan and Ukrainian women complained that they had been raped after they argued over the charges.

Presiding judge Eisa Al Sharif dismissed the defendants’ appeal and upheld the seven-year jail sentence against them on Sunday.

One of the women testified that one of the men threatened to throw her to his dog if she refused to have sex with him.

The Emiratis strongly refuted the women’s allegations and defended that they had paid sex with the women whom they described as prostitutes.

Records said D.S. raped the Ukrainian after threatening to drug and behead her.

S.S. raped the Moldovan after beating her and threatening to throw her to his dog.

The duo was also convicted of stealing the Ukrainian woman’s handbag.

The 28-year-old said she and her friend ran into the defendants when they went clubbing.

“When they asked us to join them to be allowed to enter, we agreed. We sat alone drinking … later they joined us and we danced together. When we left the nightclub at around 3am, the duo offered us a ride home. We accompanied them and we agreed to have dinner then ice cream in Jumeirah. S.S. said he had to pass by his house to feed his dog … when we were in his villa, I refused to have sex with him although he insisted. He threatened to throw me to the dog. We asked them to take us home because it was late. The defendants drove to a remote area … S.S. took me out of the car and pushed me behind some trees where he raped me,” the Moldovan said.

The Moldovan jumped out of the moving car and ran away from S.S. although he tried to chase her.

The Ukrainian woman said D.S. forced her to have sex with him in the car. She said when they dropped her off, they snatched her bag.

A police lieutenant said D.S. admitted during questioning that he had sex with the Ukrainian against her will and stole her bag that contained a mobile phone and Dh200.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.