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Two plead not guilty to rape charges

DUBAI — Two unemployed UAE nationals, 20-year-old Y.A. and 21-year-old H.S., yesterday pleaded not guilty in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance of the charge of raping Russian visitors S.I.,17, and T.R.,17.

Both the defendants, along with a third accused, also an unemployed Emirati A.R.,18, also pleaded not guilty of theft and trespassing charges. S.I. testified that on June 6, 2007, around 3.30am, she opened the door for her roommate T.R. As the latter did not close the door properly the three accused managed to enter their house in the Karama area.

"The three men threatened us with knives. Both Y.A. and H.S. raped me and my roommate and snatched our mobile phones. In addition, they broke into a room in the house and stole a laptop, Dh15,000 and a small safe belonging to a male flatmate, 32-year-old A.R., from Kazakhstan," S.I. told the court.

In his statement, the Kazakh national, A.R., said, "I was returning home a little later at about 4.45am when I saw a young man with a red American-made car parked in front of the building in which I live. He was talking to a police officer.

“Later, I came to know from my roommates what had happened and I rushed back to the man I had seen before and I noted down his car's number plate."

The next hearing will be held on March 16.

• UAE