This story began in July 2023 when 27-year-old Elizabetha Veronova posted a series of photos from Dubai on her profile. She was a mid-level influencer with an audience of about 180,000 followers specializing in content about travel and art. Her last post was made on July 23rd. After that, the profile went silent. No one raised the alarm.
In the influencer industry, breaks in activity were considered normal. Brands stopped collaborating. Subscribers gradually lost interest and the account slowly faded away. Voronova flew to Dubai at the invitation of a man who introduced himself as Fared al-Mansuri. He contacted her through a professional agent who worked with artists and models. The offer sounded attractive.
Participation in a private art project for a contemporary art collection. $50,000 in payment accommodation in the collector’s villa. The work was supposed to take about two weeks. Voronova agreed after checking the references of the agent who had real contacts in the art world and worked with several well-known galleries in Europe.
Al-Mansuri met her at the airport in person. He was a reserved man in his 50s who spoke proper English with a British accent. He was dressed in a light colored European style suit. They were driven in a premium car with a driver. During the trip, Al-Manssouri talked about his collection. He collected contemporary art, but was particularly interested in works related to the theme of the body and its transformation.
He mentioned several well-known artists who worked in this direction. Voronova took notes. She saw this project as an opportunity to enter more serious art circles. The villa was not located in the city center, but on the outskirts in a deserted area where buildings were sparse. It was a house of modern architecture with large glass surfaces and white walls.
The territory was fenced off by a high fence. Inside, the interior was minimalist. There was a lot of light. On the walls hung works that Veronova recognized as the creations of several famous artists. Al-Mansuri showed her around the house, showed her the guest room, and explained the layout. There was practically no staff to be seen, only a driver and a cook who appeared twice a day to prepare meals.
On the first evening, they discussed the details of the project. Al-Mansuri showed her sketches and explained the concept. He wanted to create a series of photographs and video works exploring the idea of immobility and time. Voronova was to be placed in various poses wrapped in special materials resembling bandages.
He explained this as a reference to ancient Egyptian mummification practices but in a modern context. The work was to be conceptual. No eroticism or provocation, pure art. Voronova asked questions. Al-Mansuroui answered in detail and convincingly. He showed her the contract she had signed in Moscow through an intermediary. Everything looked legitimate.
Filming began the next day. Al-Mansori worked methodically. First simple poses. Veronova stood or sat while he took photos from different angles. Then he began to use materials. White strips of fabric soaked in some kind of solution. He explained that it was a special compound that created the desired texture and allowed the material to retain its shape.
The smell was faint, medicinal. Voronova did not object. Al-Mansori worked professionally without unnecessary touching, commenting on each action. The first session lasted about 3 hours. Then he unwound the bandages, thanked her for her work, and let her rest. On the third day, Al-Mansori suggested trying a more complex composition.
He wanted to fix her hands in a certain position to achieve the desired visual effect. He used thin plastic splints, which he attached under layers of fabric. Veronova felt discomfort, but not severe. Al-Mansori constantly asked if she was in pain and adjusted the tension. After the shoot, he did not immediately remove the contraption.
He said he wanted to take a few more shots with different lighting. Veronova spent about an hour in this position. When she was released, her arms were slightly numb. Al-Mansuri brought a warm towel and helped her stretch her muscles. He apologized for the inconvenience and increased the promised payment by $10,000.
By the end of the first week, the shoots became more intense. Al-Mansori said he was getting closer to the desired result. Now he was fixing not only her arms but also her legs using more layers of material. Voronova began to feel that the project was going beyond what she had expected but the money was good.
The contract was signed and she saw no reason to stop. Al-Mansori was polite and attentive. Once she complained of a headache and he immediately stopped work, brought her medicine and allowed her to rest for the whole day. On the 10th day, the first serious incident occurred. Al-Mansuri asked her to lie down on a special platform that he had set up in one of the rooms.
He explained that this would be the final composition, the most important one. Veronova lay down. Al-Mansori began to wrap her body as usual, but this time he worked longer and used more material. The layers became thicker. Veronova felt that she could not move. She tried to say that she was uncomfortable, but her voice came out muffled because of the fabric that covered part of her face.
Al-Mansuri did not react. He continued to work. Veronova began to panic. She tried to move her arms, but they were completely immobilized. Her legs wouldn’t move either. She tried to scream, but the sound was weak. Al-Mansori finished wrapping her body and walked away. Veransa heard the click of a camera shutter. then silence.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. Maybe 10 minutes, maybe more. Her panic grew. Her heart was beating so hard that she could feel her pulse in her ears. Then she heard Al-Mansuri’s voice. He spoke calmly, almost monotonously. He explained that this was the real project, that all the previous days had been preparation, that she would become part of his collection, a living work of art.
Voronova tried to scream, but her voice was still muffled by the material. Al-Mansuri continued to speak. He talked about ancient Egyptian mummification practices, about how priests preserved the bodies of pharaohs for eternal life, about how modern medicine allows this to be done with a living person, that she would exist in this state for many years, that he had done this before, but those experiments had been unsuccessful, that she was the perfect specimen.
Voronova listened and couldn’t believe what was happening. It sounded like the ravings of a madman. She waited for him to laugh and say that it was all part of a performance, that in a minute he would release her and they would laugh at her reaction. But Al-Mansuri did not laugh. His voice remained calm and serious.
He moved closer. Voronova felt a prick in her arm. Then the world began to blur. When she came too, pain was the first thing she felt. a sharp throbbing pain in her hands, specifically in her fingers. She tried to move them but couldn’t, not only because her body was wrapped up, but because her fingers simply didn’t respond.
Voronova opened her eyes. Above her was the ceiling, white with spotlights. She tried to turn her head, but it wouldn’t move. Her body wouldn’t move either, only her eyes. She could blink and move her eyes. Al-Mansori appeared in her field of vision. He was smiling. He said that the procedure had been successful, that he had fixed her joints in the correct position, that now she would not be able to move even if her bandages were removed, that this was necessary for long-term preservation.
Veronova tried to scream, but only a weeze came out of her throat. Al-Mansori explained that her vocal cords were temporarily paralyzed by a mild toxin, that in a few weeks her voice would return, but by then she would be fully prepared and would not want to scream. The following days were a blur. Al-Mansuri gave her regular injections.
Sometimes Veronova fell into asleep or a state of semi- delirium. Sometimes she was conscious and understood everything that was happening. Al-Manssori continued to work on her body. He added layers of material. He changed the bandages for new ones, soaked in other solutions. He explained each stage like a teacher giving a lecture.
He said that he was using special compounds that slowed down the skin’s metabolism and prevented tissue destruction. That nutrition would be delivered through a thin tube inserted into her stomach. That her excretoryy system would be redirected through catheters. that she would feel no discomfort if she did not resist. For Enronsova did not know how much time had passed when she was moved to another room.
It was a room with high ceilings and subdued lighting. Al-Mansori placed her in a transparent container, a glass sarcophagus, as he called it. Inside was a system for maintaining temperature and humidity. Tubes and wires were hidden under her body. From the outside, the structure looked like a museum exhibit. Al-Mansori spent a long time adjusting the lighting.
He took photographs. He said that the result exceeded his expectations, that she looked perfect. It was his private gallery. Veronova did not immediately realize that there were other exhibits in the room. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw several more containers along the walls. Some of them contained human figures wrapped in bandages.
They all looked like mummies for Ensova could not tell whether they were alive or not. The containers were sealed. There was no movement. Only her sarcophagus had a life support system. Wires and tubes were visible upon closer inspection. Almansuri came regularly, sometimes alone, sometimes with guests.
He showed his collection like a museum guide. He talked about the concept behind each work. He spoke of Voronova as his latest and most successful acquisition. Guests looked at her, commented on the quality of the workmanship, discussed the details. No one asked questions. No one doubted that they were looking at a work of art and not a living person.
Voronova tried to signal. She moved her eyes, tried to blink more often. No one paid any attention. Time lost its meaning. Days turned into nights. The light in the gallery dimmed in the evening and became brighter in the morning. Al-Mansori came to check the systems. He changed the nutrient solutions. Sometimes he gave injections.
Veronova gradually lost her sense of reality. Sometimes she thought it was an endless nightmare from which she would soon wake up. Sometimes she accepted the situation as a new reality in which she would have to exist for an indefinite period of time. Her thoughts slowed down. Her consciousness dulled.
Maybe it was the effect of the chemicals. Maybe it was a protective reaction of the psyche. At some point, a new person appeared in the gallery, a worker. Al-Mansori had hired him to maintain the villa’s technical systems. His name was Ahmed Khalil, a man of about 35, of Filipino origin. He had been working in Dubai for 8 years.
He was engaged in servicing air conditioning and electrical systems in private homes. Al-Mansuri called him to check the climate control in the gallery. The system was malfunctioning. The temperature was fluctuating which could damage the exhibits. Khalil entered the gallery with his tools. Al-Mansuri explained the problem and left him to work. Khalil began his inspection.
He examined the control units and checked the sensors. Everything was in order with the main system. The problem was in the local controller of one of the containers, the very one where Voronova was located. Khalil moved closer to examine the control panel. He glanced at the contents of the container.
He saw a wrapped figure. He thought it was a sculpture or a mannequin. Then he noticed that the chest was rising and falling slightly, very slowly, almost imperceptibly, but there was movement. Khalil looked more closely. He saw tubes. He saw wires leading into the container. He realized that this was not just an exhibit. He took a step back.
He looked at the other containers. He approached the nearest one. No movement. He returned to the first one. The chest continued to move. Khalil stood in front of the container and tried to figure out what to do. He was not a man prone to impulsive decisions. Eight years of working in Dubai had taught him caution.
wealthy clients could have strange hobbies and collections. He had seen rooms with exotic animals, private museums with questionable exhibits, basements converted into bunkers. He had learned not to ask unnecessary questions, but this was different. This was a living person sealed in a glass box.
He finished checking the climate control faster than he had planned. He gathered his tools. Al-Mansuri was waiting for him in the lobby. Khalil reported the problem with the controller and offered a solution. Al-Mansuri nodded, paid in cash, and walked him to the exit. Khalil got in his car and drove away. All the way home, he thought about what he had seen.
He tried to find a logical explanation. Maybe it was a medical experiment. Maybe some kind of therapy. Maybe the man was sick and this was a way to treat him. At home, he couldn’t concentrate. His wife asked what was wrong. Khalil said he was tired. He went to bed but couldn’t sleep. In the morning he decided he had to check. If he was wrong and it really was a mannequin, then everything was fine.
If not, then something had to be done. He called Al-Manssori and said that the system needed to be checked again and a new controller installed. Al-Mansori agreed. He set a time for the next day. Khalil arrived in the afternoon. Al-Mansori opened the door, let him in, and showed him to the gallery. He left him to work.
Khalil pretended to be busy with the installation. He waited for Al-Manssori to leave. When he was alone, he approached the container. He looked closely at the face. The eyes were open. They were looking at the ceiling. Khalil tapped the glass quietly. The eyes twitched. They looked at him. Khalil felt a chill in his chest. It was definitely a living person.
He didn’t know what to do next. It was impossible to free her right now. The container was sealed and he needed tools. Even if he opened it, it was unclear what condition the person was in and whether she needed medical attention. Al-Mansuri could return at any moment. Khalil decided to proceed with caution. He finished his work and left the gallery.
He told Al-Mansori that everything had been fixed. He left. In the car, he took out his phone. He wanted to call the police. Then he stopped. He began to think about the consequences. Al-Mansuri was a rich man, a villa on the outskirts, private property, an expensive collection. People like that had connections.
Khalil was a foreign worker on a temporary visa. It would be his word against that of a citizen with money and influence. If the police came and found nothing suspicious, or if Elmensuri explained the situation differently, Khalil would find himself in an unpleasant situation. He could be deported. He could be accused of slander.
He decided to gather evidence first. The next day, he bought a miniature camera. It was a small device that could be hidden in a pocket or attached discreetly. He called Al-Manssori again. He said he needed to check how the new controller worked and take readings. Al-Mansori agreed but sounded less friendly.
He asked why another visit was necessary. Khalil explained that it was standard procedure, a warranty check. Al-Mansuri set a time. Khalil arrived with the camera in his pocket. Al-Mansori met him at the door. This time he did not let him in right away. He asked a few questions about the job and the company Khalil worked for.
Khalil answered calmly, showed his documents, and explained the procedure. Al-Mansori let him in, but this time he stayed nearby. He did not leave the gallery. He stood and watched the work. Khalil turned on the camera in his pocket. He checked the readings on the instruments and pretended that everything was fine.
Al-Mansuri stood a few meters away. Khalil approached the container to check the temperature sensor. The camera was pointed at the sarcophagus. He recorded for a few minutes. Then he walked away and finished the check. Al-Mansori escorted him to the exit. This time he did not pay extra.
He just said goodbye and closed the door. Khalil returned home and watched the recording. The quality was average, but it was clear enough. a wrapped figure in a container. Tubes, wires, slow movement of the chest. At one point, the eyes turned toward the camera. It was clearly visible. Khalil saved the file to a flash drive. He made a copy.
Now he had evidence. He went to the police station the next day. The officer on duty listened to his story. He asked to see the recording. Khalil showed him the video on his phone. The officer watched it and frowned. He asked a few questions. He wrote down the address of the villa. He said he would pass the information on to the relevant department.
Khalil asked what would happen next. The officer replied that he would be called in to testify if necessary. Khalil left his contact details and left. 3 days passed. No one called. Khalil began to worry. He called the station himself. He was connected to another officer. The officer said that the information was being verified and that it would take time.
Khalil asked how long. The officer did not give a specific answer. He said to wait. A week later, Khalil received a call, but it was not from the police. It was Al-Manssori. He said there was a problem with the air conditioning system in another part of the house. He asked Khalil to come. Khalil felt uneasy. This was no coincidence.
He refused, saying he was busy with other jobs. Al-Mansori insisted. He offered double the pay. Khalil refused again. Al-Mansori raised his voice. He said that Khalil was obliged to finish the job he had started, that he had a contract. Khalil replied that there was no contract, only one-off calls. He hung up. That same evening, as Khalil was returning home from work, he was stopped by a car, a black SUV with tinted windows, two men got out of the car.
They were dressed in ordinary clothes, but carried themselves like security guards or bodyguards. One of them asked if he was Ahmed Khalil. Khalil confirmed that he was. The man said they had some questions for him. He asked him to get in the car. Khalil refused. He asked who they were. The men did not answer.
One took out his phone and showed him a photo. The photo was of Khalil near the Al-Manssuri villa. The man said they needed to talk about the visit. Khalil said he had already spoken to the police. The men exchanged glances. One said that it was not a matter for the police. It was a private matter.
Khalil turned around and walked back. The men did not follow him physically, but the car followed slowly behind him. Khalil quickened his pace. He turned onto a busy street. The car did not follow him. He reached the nearest subway station and went downstairs. He checked to see if anyone was following him. He took a detour to get home.
His wife asked why he was so late. Khalil said he had been delayed at work. He didn’t sleep that night. He thought about what to do. Almansuri clearly knew about his visit to the police. either he had connections or the police had informed him themselves. Khalil realized that it was dangerous to act through official channels. He decided to try another approach.
The next day, he found the contact details of several investigative journalists online. He wrote to a few of them. Most did not respond. One replied 3 days later. He asked for more information. Khalil sent part of the video without specifying the exact address. The journalist replied that the material was interesting, but that more confirmation was needed.
Documents, witnesses, and additional evidence were required. Khalil understood that he could not obtain more evidence without risk, but he could not leave things as they were either. He began to watch the villa in the evenings. He parked his car at a distance and observed through binoculars. He recorded who arrived and who left. Al-Mansuri rarely left.
Sometimes guests arrived in expensive cars. They stayed inside for several hours. Khalil wrote down the license plate numbers, but didn’t know what to do with them. One evening, he saw a truck pull up to the villa. It was a medium-sized van. It stopped at the gate. Khalil couldn’t see what was being unloaded, but the van stayed there for about half an hour. Then it drove away.
Khalil tried to follow it, but lost it at a traffic light. He wrote down the van’s license plate number. Later, he tried to find information about the company that owned the vehicle. It was a private logistics firm that transported special cargo. A month had passed since his first visit to the villa. Khalil continued to gather information, but there was no progress.
The journalists stopped responding to messages. The police did not get in touch. Khalil began to think that nothing would come of it, that Al-Mansori was too well protected to be stopped, that the woman in the sarcophagus would remain there until she died, if she wasn’t already dead. Then something happened that changed the situation.
Khalil received a message from an unknown number. It was a short text message in English. The message read, “You asked about the villa. I have information. Let’s meet.” Khalil did not respond immediately. He thought it might be a trap. Maybe Al-Mansor’s people wanted to lure him out, but curiosity was stronger than caution.
He replied, “Who are you?” The answer came an hour later. “I worked in the same villa. I know what’s going on there. Khalil agreed to meet in a public place. They chose a cafe in a shopping center. Khalil arrived early. He looked around. He sat down at a table by the window. He waited. The man who arrived was young, about 25 years old. He looked Indian.
He introduced himself as Rajesh. He sat down opposite Khalil. He ordered tea. He began to speak quietly. Reesh had worked as a gardener at Al-Manssuri’s villa two years ago. His duties included caring for the grounds and the plants inside the house. Once he was asked to help move a heavy object in the gallery. Rajes helped.
He saw the containers. He asked what they were. Al-Mansuri said they were part of an art collection. Rajes asked no more questions. He continued working. A few months later, Rajes noticed something strange. Sometimes he heard sounds coming from the gallery, muffled but distinct, like moans or screams. He thought it was the sound of the ventilation system or equipment.
But one evening while cleaning the area near the gallery window, he looked inside. He saw Almansuri near one of the containers. Al-Mansori was doing something with the tubes. The figure inside the container flinched. Rajesh stepped back from the window. Al-Mansori turned around and saw him. He came out.
He asked Rajes what he had seen. Rajes said nothing. He was just cleaning up trash. Al-Mansuri looked at him for a long time. Then he nodded. He told him to finish his work and leave. The next day, Rajes got a call from the company that hired him. They said the contract with the villa had been terminated. His services were no longer needed.
There was no explanation. Rajes tried to find out the reason. He was told that the client was dissatisfied with the quality of his work. Rajes knew that wasn’t true. He had done a good job. He realized that Al-Mansuri had gotten rid of him because he had seen too much. Rajes told Khalil this story.
He said that he had seen a mention of the villa in the news when he was searching for information on the internet. He found a forum where people were discussing strange houses in Dubai. Someone had posted about a villa with a private gallery and strange exhibits. Rajes realized it was the same villa. He started looking for more information.
He came across a post by Khalil on one of the forums where he was asking about a logistics company. Rajes connected the dots. he decided to get in touch. Khalil asked if Rajesh was ready to testify. Rejesh said he was afraid, that he had a family, that he was also on a temporary visa, that he didn’t want any trouble, but he was willing to share information anonymously if it would help stop Al-Manssuri.
Khalil said he understood. He asked if Rajesh had any other details that might be useful. Rajes remembered seeing a woman arrive at the villa once. She was young and looked European. She arrived in a taxi. Al-Mansuri met her. They went inside. Rajesh didn’t see her again. It was shortly before he heard the sounds from the gallery for the first time.
He didn’t remember the exact date, but it was 2 years ago in the summer. Khalil wrote down this information. He asked if Reesh could remember anything else. Rajes shook his head. He said that was all he knew. They exchanged contact details. Rajes left first. Khalil stayed behind. He thought about what to do next.
Now he had a witness, albeit a reluctant one. But that was still not enough for an official investigation. He needed more compelling evidence. He needed to get into the gallery again. But how could he do that without risk? Khalil returned home and began looking for other ways. He studied human rights laws in the UAE.
He looked for contacts at human rights organizations. He found several international groups that dealt with similar cases. He wrote to them. He described the situation. He sent a copy of the video. He waited for a response. The response came 2 weeks later. A representative of one of the organizations wrote that the material was indeed disturbing, but that more specific data was needed to launch an official investigation.
The victim’s identity was needed. Medical reports were needed. Expert testimony was needed. The organization was willing to help, but only if the necessary evidence was gathered. Khalil realized he had reached a dead end. He had the video. He had the witness. But it wasn’t enough. The system was working against him.
Rich people were protected. Foreign workers had no voice. He almost decided to give up. He almost convinced himself that he had done everything he could. But then he remembered the eyes of that woman in the container, how they looked at him, how they asked for help without words, and he couldn’t stop.
He decided to try again, a more risky plan. Khalil decided to act directly. He contacted the Russian consulate in Dubai. He explained the situation to the officer on duty. He said that the alleged victim might be a Russian citizen. He showed the video. The employee listened carefully and asked him to leave a copy of the materials and his contact details.
Khalil expected to be asked to wait again. But this time, the reaction was different. 3 days later, he received a call from the consulate. They asked him to come in to give a detailed statement. Khalil arrived. He was met by a consular officer named Soolof and an employee from the legal department.
They asked specific questions. They wrote down his answers. They watched the video several times. They asked him to clarify details about the villa, the timing of the visits, and Almensuri’s behavior. Khalil answered as accurately as possible. Sov explained that several months ago, the family of a missing girl had contacted the consulate, Elizabetha Veronova, 27 years old, an influencer from Moscow.
The last contact was in July 2023. At that time, she wrote to her mother that she was in Dubai for work. After that, contact was lost. Her phone was not answering. Her social media profiles were no longer being updated. The family filed a report with the police in Russia. The Russian police sent a request to the UAE.
The local police conducted a formal investigation, found nothing, and closed the case as a voluntary disappearance. The family did not give up. They contacted the consulate directly. The consulate launched its own investigation, but without any concrete leads, there was no progress. Now information has come from Khalil.
Sokov said that the consulate would act through diplomatic channels. They would send an official request to the UAE police demanding that they check the villa. That the presence of consular representatives during the inspection is mandatory under international law when it comes to a possible victim from Russia.
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
