BLACKMAILER’S APPEAL REJECTED

The appeal of a Bahraini national who blackmailed his sister-in-law was rejected by the High Criminal Appeals Court. The 53-year-old accused reportedly threatened to expose the victim’s nude pictures and stain her reputation at her workplace. “He was having problems with my sister and he used to call me a lot to discuss them with me,” the victim said in a statement. Feeling uneasy discussing his sister’s marital matters, the victim said she tried to distance herself from him and requested him to stop calling her. “Suddenly he sent me a text message on my phone, threatening to expose what he claimed my illicit relationship with both him and his brother. He also claimed he had my nude photos, which he would circulate across the press and my workplace,” she added. However, during questioning the accused denied sending the text messages but admitted to insulting her on phone.

“My relationship with my wife deteriorated after she (the victim) told her that me, along with my brother, raped her and recorded the incident,” the accused explained to prosecutors.

The accused said the phone he used to call the victim was robbed, probably by his wife. But police investigation revealed that his wife was at her family’s house when the incident occurred. The criminal history of the accused showed he was already involved in an abuse case against another woman. He was earlier sentenced to six months in prison, which was upheld by the High Criminal Appeals Court.