Dubai kissing couple face jail as appeal fails

Dubai kissing couple face jail as appeal fails

www.cnn.com

Ayman Najafi and Charlotte Adams were arrested in November, accused of kissing and touching each other intimately in public -- violations of law against public indecency -- and consuming alcohol. [...] The couple was dining with friends at Bob's Easy Diner, one of a stretch of cafes on a popular strip behind the city's Jumeirah Beach. An Emirati woman with her family reported their behavior to police.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.timesonline.co.uk
english.aljazeera.net

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Airline Crew Face Jail In Dubai Over Sexy Texts
Briton faces jail after Dubai beach sex
Russian woman put on trial in Dubai for drinking juice in public

Dubai has been on my personal 'never-ever-to-visit-places' list for several years now, and they haven't done anything that could change my mind any time soon. Several headlines in the past paint a picture of Dubai as a place you might get an unexpected extension of your visit, due to their insanely ridiculous laws:

A British man sentenced to four years in jail in the Gulf emirate of Dubai for having a tiny amount of cannabis stuck to his shoe

...or this case:

"Tracy Wilkinson, 45, from West Sussex, who was arrested at Dubai airport in 2005 for possession of codeine, which she had been taking for chronic back pain. She was held in custody for 8 weeks before officials accepted proof from her doctor of its use for prescribed medical purposes only." source

I cannot believe why a country with completely idiotic laws and a history of insane persecution still attracts tourists.

"...Dubai customs officials used highly sensitive screening equipment to detect 0.003g cannabis in the tread of his shoe. The amount of the drug found on his shoe would not be visible to the naked eye and weighs less than a single grain of sugar..."

It may be the Disneyland for adults in the Middle East, but you won't see me there any time soon.


www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

In the land of Oil Tycoons, Billionnaires, Celebs and Politicians I guess the country is effectively a "Prison State" to any of us Mere tax-paying Mortals who are crazy enough to want a pathetic taste of that lifestyle.

Dubai represents everything that is wrong with the world, the sooner the place collapses the better. Built on the backs of slave labour for the worlds rich to pamper themselves.

Thing about this pair is that they say they just kissed on the cheek and the prosecution have based their accounts on a 38 year old woman apparently being told by her 2 year old daughter that they kissed! Yet, they called NO WITNESSES to the "trial" and just sentenced them!

Ity is also believed that while the male is British, he is of Muslim descent so they might be making an example of him. The woman was apparently a work associate and they just did the old peck on the cheek thing as they met.

Even the mans mother has come out said he knows nothing of ME values and this is how he has always greeted women in the West. I agree, I do the same with my sisters and other close female friends. It is nothing sexual at all.

God forbid any Frenchmen ever go to Dubai..Not only would they be "kissing in public" but also would get pulled up on "homesexuality" charges too!!

reply to post by stumason


How is it this Arab State can prosecute and hold someone who is not even a Citizen??? Last time I looked (which was some time ago, I admit) A country couldn't arrest someone without contacting the embassy (who should be able to tell them the charges are stupid and yank the person out of jail)?

reply to post by wylekat


Em.. This isn't a western country and Sovereign laws apply..

Also, im not too sure if what you say is correct.

If someone commits a crime in any EU state, they can be arrested before notification of the Embassy.. After all, average people don't have diplomatic immunity..


Prosecution is a different story however..

Guess the couple should have read the law of the land and either not visited or abided by it. I really do not understand people traveling to other countries, especially those very different from their own culture and not doing some research about the place they visit.

I dont agree with many (most?) of the laws in that area of the world - therefore, I just dont go. I wont risk accidently screwing up and going thru this.

My brother almost bought a place in Dubai with a friend - and after doing some research and learning the laws - he decided he could not abide by them and decided to not even visit. He likes his alcohol and women too much

[edit on April 4th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Thing is, this isn't a couple nor did they kiss on the lips (the crime). They did the old "cheek peck" (which is legal) thing and some local womans 2 year old duaghter told her mother she saw them kissing.

This local women (who never even saw the "offence) then reported them, who were then arrested and tried without any witnesses actually being called for either the defence or prosecution! Even tough there are witnesses for the defence who would refute the claims.

So it's hardly a case of "not knowing customs" (the man had been in Dubai for 18 months) but rather a case of a crappy justice system, outdated laws and a failure to actually secure any evidence at all.

[edit on 4/4/10 by stumason]

I used to go to Dubai every month for work and this article really pisses me off.

Dubai has one of the biggest sex trades there is, warehouses are full of young prostitutes waiting for Arabs who travel from all over the gulf to spend their almighty dollar.

A friend who lived there took me for a look, I tried to take a picture and I thought I was being covert but within seconds I was rushed by bouncers and had to delete it on the spot in front of them. After which they went through my whole camera just to make sure.

Double standards, hypocrites, filth, pig headed, deluded, arrogant, lairs, slave labor drivers, conspirators, blame shifters .... shall I go on?

Holiday somewhere else .... work some where else, fundamentalism creeps in only when it suits them, but most of the time they're drinking with hookers.

Ahhhh feel better now I had that little rant.

reply to post by stumason

a 38 year old woman apparently being told by her 2 year old daughter that they kissed!

That's the sad part; a 2 year old girl that thinks it's a crime to kiss, and that something like that should be reported.

I think the general response among two year old girls in the West is to smile, snicker, and look the other way blushing?

This stuff really gets to me, especially when many immigrants in the West demand maximum tolerance (and beyond that) for their foreign culture and habits.

How rediculus is this? This country wants to be the playground of the world and still have these laws from the dark ages. Touch her ass....chop off your hand, kiss her chop off your head. Are there any laws about touching another man? I have seen on the tele of them stroking each others hand under a garment to strike a deal for camels, property and women.

I need to add this. What happened to all these laws when the recent assasination occured that supposed to have a dozen suspects. Bet they had their way with the big [farce] city, stared at some boobies, slaped a few butts both genders, kill someone and left. What a police farce they have.

Originally posted by ROBL240
In the land of Oil Tycoons, Billionnaires, Celebs and Politicians I guess the country is effectively a "Prison State" to any of us Mere tax-paying Mortals who are crazy enough to want a pathetic taste of that lifestyle.

I've been to Dubai, and lived in the Middle East for a few months. The sad part is you say it is a 'prison state', you're wrong. The US and UK are more of a prison state then Dubai will ever be.

They don't tax their citizens into slavery, nor do they have jackboot thugs kicking in doors on a daily basis.

The few stories you hear about on the media is rare, compared to our homes, you rarely see the police, and over there they are lazy and normally won't mess with American or UK expats. They like to work from about 10am - 3pm when they can, and because of the low crime rate, most can.

Originally posted by SPYvsSPY
How rediculus is this? This country wants to be the playground of the world and still have these laws from the dark ages. Touch her ass....chop off your hand, kiss her chop off your head. Are there any laws about touching another man? I have seen on the tele of them stroking each others hand under a garment to strike a deal for camels, property and women.

That would be Saudi Arabia you're talking about, Dubai doesn't do that chopping off stuff.

As far as the men with men thing, yeah I'm not going to say I haven't seen a few things I'd knock someones lights out over.

Originally posted by jpvskyfreak

Double standards, hypocrites, filth, pig headed, deluded, arrogant, lairs, slave labor drivers, conspirators, blame shifters .... shall I go on?

Holiday somewhere else .... work some where else, fundamentalism creeps in only when it suits them, but most of the time they're drinking with hookers.

Ahhhh feel better now I had that little rant.

You're absolutely right....it is all about your swasta and you're above the law.

[edit on 24/5/10 by xstealth]