In March, a woman who claims to be Dubai's princess Latifa al Maktoum posted a high-profile video on Youtube in which she says that she plans to flee the country because her family abused her and imposed restrictions on her.

"This may be the last video I make," the princess said before criticizing her father, Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Tiina Jauhiainen, born and raised in Finland, was one of the few people who knew about Princess Latifa's plans to flee.

They got to know each other in 2010 when she started training the princess in the martial art of capoeira and developed a close friendship.

- Last summer, before I was going home to Finland on holiday, she started telling me about her plans.

She asked me if I could consider leaving Dubai, because after this we would never be able to return.

I never hesitated, she is the closest friend I had, she says to SVT News.

By then, Princess Latifa had already told about her previous escape attempt in 2002, which ended with her spending three years and four months in prison.

Her sister Shamsa, too, had made a failed escape attempt and was jailed for eight years, according to Latifa.

- It took a very long time before she told about her past.

Only a few friends knew.

It made me very sad.

She has wanted to leave Dubai since the last time she tried to escape, says Tiina Jauhiainen.

The boat was stormed by men with machine guns

She describes the princess' life as very controlled.

- She had a curfew, she was only allowed to be in certain places, she was treated like a child.

At the same time, she saw us, her friends, have normal lives, travel and date whoever we want.

She just wanted a normal life.

One day in February this year, after the princess' driver dropped her off at Tiina Jauhiainen's, the escape attempt began.

The friends drove to Oman where they went out to hunt for the Frenchman and his friend Hervé Jaubert.

After eight days at sea, off the coast of Goa, the boat was stormed by about 15 men with machine guns and laser sight.

It was Indian security forces, says Tiina.

She and Latifa were under deck when they heard gunfire.

- We locked ourselves in, we were very scared.

After that, the cab started to fill with smoke so we had to get on deck.

On the stairs we met black-clad men with machine guns pointed at us.

Tiina Jauhiainen was pushed to the ground, had her hands tied and threatened with death, she says.

- It was very scary.

Then I saw Latifa lying on the floor.

She repeated that she was seeking asylum but they only told her to be quiet.

She said "shoot me here, do not take me back".

That was the last time I saw her.

"They said I would be sentenced to death"

Tiina Jauhiainen believes that her friend was taken to Dubai by helicopter or a private plane.

Left on the boat were herself, Hervé Jaubert and three Filipino crew members who were taken back to the United Arab Emirates where a two-week interrogation awaited.

- They said that I would receive the death penalty or life imprisonment because I had gone against the leader of Dubai.

I saw it as if I had helped a friend, they saw it as an international business.

Tiina Jauhiainen was forced to confess to the crime and sign a document in Arabic to be released, unaware of what it said.

When she came home to Finland, she received calls every day with threats.

They said "Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum can access you anywhere".

Talks ceased when the incident began to attract media attention and the NGO Detained in Dubai lodged a complaint with the UN calling for an independent inquiry into the actions of the United Arab Emirates and India.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has also demanded an answer about Latifa al Maktoum's disappearance.

"Many other women are in similar situations"

Tiina Jauhiainen is no longer afraid, but the incident has traumatized her, she says.

- If I hear a loud noise at night, I jump up.

The first thing I think of when I wake up is Latifa, I can not plan my future.

She does not want to return to Dubai even if she had the opportunity, even though she lived there for 17 years.

- This event has opened my eyes.

I feel shocked, how can I have lived there for so long?

Now she hopes that the world will put pressure on Dubai's leaders and that the fate of Princess Latifa can help others.

- Many other women are in similar situations.

Not only did she want to flee for her own sake, she had plans to start a charity for oppressed women.

She wanted to help others.

Now I try to speak in her place, says Tiina Jauhiainen.