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The process took another 2 weeks. Khalil did not know the details of the negotiations, but Sokov kept him informed of the general situation. The local authorities resisted. Al-Mansuri had connections in government circles. His family was influential. But the pressure from the Russian consulate was strong.
In addition, international human rights organizations to which Khalil had previously sent information got involved. They launched a public campaign on social media. The story of a possible victim of human trafficking in Dubai began to spread in the media. As a result, the UAE authorities agreed to conduct an investigation.
On October 23rd, 2023, a group of police officers accompanied by a representative of the Russian consulate arrived at Al-Manssuri’s villa. Khalil was not there, but later learned the details from the official report and from Soolof. Al-Mansori greeted the police calmly. He let them in without objection. He showed them the documents for the house.
He explained that he was an art collector and knew nothing about the missing Russian woman. The police asked to inspect the premises. Al-Mansuri agreed. He showed them around the house. He showed them the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. When they reached the gallery, he explained that it was a private collection.
The police insisted on inspecting it. Al-Mansuri opened the door. Inside the gallery, the officers saw several glass containers along the walls. Al-Mansori explained each one as a work of art. He mentioned the names of the artists and the concepts behind the works. The police approached the container where Voronova was located.
The consulate representative asked to open the sarcophagus. Al-Mansuri refused. He said that it would damage the exhibit, that the work was sealed and required special conditions. The senior officer did not argue. He ordered the container to be opened by force. A technician from the group began working on the locks and seals. Al-Manssori tried to protest.
He threatened to file complaints. The officer paid no attention. 20 minutes later, the container was opened. Inside lay a woman completely wrapped in bandages. Only her eyes were visible. A medic from the group came closer. He checked her pulse on her neck. There was a pulse, weak, but discernable. The woman was alive.
The medic immediately called an ambulance. He began to carefully remove the bandages from her face to ensure normal breathing. Al-Mansuri tried to explain the situation. He said that it was a voluntary project, that the woman had agreed to participate, that all the documents had been signed. The police did not listen.
Al-Mansori was arrested on the spot. He was charged with unlawful deprivation of liberty and causing grievous bodily harm. The ambulance arrived quickly. The medics continued to remove the bandages from Veronova. They worked carefully because they did not know what condition the body was in under the layers of material.
When they removed most of the bandages, they discovered a system of tubes and catheters connected to the body. The medics disconnected the system. They transferred Veronova to a stretcher and took her to the hospital. At the hospital, she underwent a complete examination. The results were shocking. Veronova had broken fingers on both hands and feet.
The fractures were old and had already begun to heal, but in the wrong position. Her joints were damaged by the chemicals that had been soaked into the bandages. Her muscles were atrophied from prolonged immobility. Her skin was covered with ulcers and chemical burns. Her body weight was critically low.
Her internal organs were functioning at their limit. The doctors said that Veronova had been in this condition for about 3 months. She had survived only thanks to the artificial feeding system and medications administered by Al-Manssouri. Without immediate intervention, she would have died within a few weeks. Her psychological state was critical.
Voronova was unable to speak for the first few days. She was in a state of shock. She responded only to basic stimuli. The police continued their investigation of the villa. They opened the remaining containers in the gallery. In two of them, they found mummified bodies. A forensic examination showed that these were the remains of two women.
One was European, aged between 25 and 30. The second was Asian, aged between 30 and 35. Both had been mummified using the same method as Veronova. Death was caused by exhaustion and organ failure. Based on the condition of the bodies, death occurred within the last 2 years. An extensive archive was found on Al-Manssori’s computer, photographs and video recordings of the mummification process of all three women, detailed diary entries where he described each stage of the experiment, medical data, vital signs, reactions to various
chemicals, correspondence with suppliers of special materials and chemicals, contracts with logistics companies for the delivery of equipment. Documents on the first two victims were also found. The first woman was a Filipina named Maria Santos, 32 years old. She worked as a maid in one of Dubai’s hotels.
She disappeared in January 2022. Her family filed a report with the police, but the search yielded no results. The second woman was Ukrainian named Anna Kavalchuk. She was 28 years old. She worked as an administrator at a spa. She disappeared in August 2022. She was also listed as missing. Almansuri recruited his victims through intermediaries.
He offered them jobs or participation in art projects. He promised good pay. He invited them to his villa. He isolated them. He began the mummification process gradually so that the victim could not resist effectively. He kept detailed records of each stage. He considered himself an artist and researcher creating a new form of art.
The trial began in March 2024. Al-Manssouri pleaded not guilty. His lawyers claimed that he suffered from a mental disorder and was not aware of the consequences of his actions. They presented documents from psychiatrists who diagnosed him with severe obsessive compulsive disorder associated with an obsession with ancient Egyptian culture and mummification rituals.
The prosecution insisted that Al-Mansuri acted consciously and methodically. It presented evidence of the planning of the crimes. It showed correspondence in which he ordered special equipment and materials months before the abduction of the victims. It presented witnesses, including suppliers and workers who helped install the systems in the gallery.
Elizabetha Veronova testified via video link from Russia. She returned to her homeland after several months of treatment in a UAE hospital. She gave a detailed account of what happened. She described how Al-Mansuri lured her with promises of work. She described how he gradually moved from ordinary photoshoots to violence.
She described how he broke her fingers and fixed her joints. She described how she spent months in a sarcophagus unable to move, understanding everything that was happening. The court found Al-Manssori guilty on all counts. Murder of two people with particular cruelty, kidnapping and unlawful deprivation of liberty, causing grievous bodily harm, human trafficking.
The sentence was handed down in September 2024. Life imprisonment without the right to early release. The families of Maria Santos and Anakovchuk received the bodies for burial. The remains were repatriated to the Philippines and Ukraine, respectively. Both families filed civil suits against Al-Manssuri and received compensation from his frozen assets.
Elizabeth Voronova underwent lengthy physical and psychological rehabilitation. Her broken fingers required several operations. Doctors were able to partially restore the function of her hands, but she never regained full mobility. She learned to walk again 6 months after her rescue. The psychological trauma proved to be deeper than the physical.
Veronova could not be in enclosed spaces. She suffered from nightmares. She underwent therapy with a specialist in post-traumatic stress disorder. She did not return to her work as an influencer. She deleted all her social media profiles. She refused interviews and public appearances. She lived with her family in Moscow. She gradually recovered.
Her mother said in one of her rare interviews that her daughter was learning to live again, that every day was a struggle, but she was alive and that was the main thing. Ahmed Khalil received official thanks from the Russian consulate and from Veronova’s family. Elizabetha’s mother flew to Dubai specifically to meet him in person.
She thanked him for not remaining indifferent, for risking himself for a stranger. Khalil said that he was simply doing what any normal person would do. Rajes also testified in court anonymously via video link with his face covered. His testimony helped establish the chronology of events and prove that Al-Mansuri was not doing this for the first time.
After the trial, Rajes continued to work in Dubai. Khalil sometimes communicated with him. Both tried not to dwell on what they had seen. The story received limited media coverage. The UAE authorities were not interested in widespread publicity of the case, which could damage the country’s reputation as a safe place for expats and tourists.
Several international publications ran articles, but without sensational headlines or details. The Russian media also wrote about it in a restrained manner, focusing more on the successful rescue of the citizen than on the details of the crime. Al-Mansor’s villa was confiscated by the state. The art collection was sold at auction.
The money went to a fund to help victims of human trafficking. The building stood empty for a long time. Then it was demolished. A residential complex was built on the site. The case was officially closed in December 2024. The police conducted an additional investigation to determine whether there were any other victims.
They checked all cases of missing women in Dubai over the past 5 years. They found several suspicious cases but were unable to establish any direct links to Almansuri. The investigation concluded that there were three victims. Two died, one survived. Elizabetha Veronova is still alive. She lives quietly. She does not give interviews.
Relatives say she is slowly recovering. She is learning to enjoy simple things. Walking in the park, drinking coffee in the morning, talking to people. Things that used to seem ordinary now require effort. But she is fighting. And that is already a victory. Fared al Mansori is serving a sentence in a maximum security prison in the UAE.
He does not give interviews. He does not communicate with the outside world. According to prison officials, he keeps to himself. He spends his time in his cell. He reads books on the history of ancient Egypt. The prison psychologist noted in his report that the prisoner still considers himself an artist, not a criminal.
That he shows no signs of remorse. The story remains a warning that wealth and influence can create zones of impunity, that crimes against people can be committed under the guise of art, that it is important to pay attention to oddities and not ignore warning signs. Khalil saved a life because he did not remain indifferent.
Many others saw something suspicious but remained silent. The difference between life and death sometimes lies in one person who decides to