Dutch sex trafficker loses appeal; to serve 8 years in Turkish prison

Dutch-Turkish sex trafficker Saban B. will serve seven years and nine months in a Turkish prison. A court in Istanbul ruled against B. in the appeal of this case and found him guilty of human trafficking and participation in a criminal organization, NU.nl reports.

Saban B. was sentenced in abstentia by the court in Arnhe in 2010. He fled to Turkey during a week of leave. As the Turkish authorities do not extradite nationals, the Netherlands proceeded to work on getting B. behind bars in Turkey. The Dutch Public Prosecutor asked the Turkish Public Prosecutor to make B. serve his sentence there.

In February last year the Turkish court found B. guilty of human trafficking and participating in a criminal organization and sentenced him to almost eight years in prison. B. appealed and was allowed to await his appeal in freedom. 

Saban B.'s gang earned millions in the large-scale exploitation of women in Amsterdam prostitution, particularly in the Amsterdam Red Light District. The gang members used excessive force against the women, even "branding" them in the form of tattoos.

The Dutch Public Prosecutor is pleased with the Istanbul court's ruling. "The law will thus take its course", Herman Bolhaar, chairman of the Board of Attorneys General, commented to the newspaper. "The decision of the Turkish court is a huge boost for the victims of Saban B."