(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Six Iranians, including three runaways, were each sentenced to life in jail on Wednesday for kidnapping with the use of force British businessman of Iranian descent, Abbas Yazdanpanah, and holding him up against his will for more than one month with the intention to hurt him.
While three of the accused, of ages ranging from 32 to 55, have been convicted in absentia the other three denied the charges in the Court of First Instance. They will all be deported after serving their time in prison. One of them admitted in court that he drove the car in which the businessman was abducted.
The 32-year-old driver, identified as R.A., claimed that the kidnap was over financial claims and alleged he had nothing to do with assaulting or sedating the businessman.
The public prosecution requested in its arraignment sheet that the maximum possible penalty be inflicted on the accused.
Chief prosecutor Khalid Zarouni argued in court that the kidnap had been motivated by a statement given by the victim in a case involving an Iranian gas company to the International Court of Justice.
The abductors had another main accomplice who passed away after the incident while in custody. The prosecution records did not mention the cause of his death.
They faced charges of kidnap, forcible theft, physical assault and putting the victim's life at risk by injecting him with drug shots and covering his face with a drug-tainted piece of cloth to sedate him.
Two of them, both visitors, aged 52 and 55, are accused of aiding and abetting the other four by coming to the country for renting the villa (where the alleged kidnappers resided), renting cars and getting new mobile phone numbers they used in their plan. One of them is also accused of possession of the stolen belongings of the businessman. It is understood the businessman's whereabouts is still unknown.
According to prosecution records, the incident happened on June 25, 2013. The accused planned the kidnap for about five months and rented a villa in Al Baraha area where they devised the plan and assigned the role of each one of them and also used the villa to keep the crime tools and the valuables and belongings of the victim.
They kept a close watch on the businessman and in the meantime prepared the crime tools like gloves, duct tapes, stun gun and drug injections to use on the victim. They went to his workplace and waited until they spotted him exiting a parking lot.
They assaulted him and stopped him from moving and then carried him to the back seat of their car, driven by the main accused, R.A., 32, where they injected him with drug shots to make him lose consciousness and thus stop him from resisting.
The accused then carried the victim, who they wrapped in a sheet, to a boat bound from Sharjah to Iran upon a prior agreement with its captain to sneak the businessman out of the country.
They also stole the businessman's four bank cards, two driving licenses and other documents.
The detained accused may appeal the verdict within 15 days.
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