THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A Dubai appeals court has upheld a one-month prison sentence for a British couple convicted of kissing in a restaurant.
Ayman Najafi and Charlotte Adams – both in their 20s – were arrested after an Emirati woman claimed they exchanged a passionate kiss in a restaurant where she and her daughter were having dinner.
The pair landed in court after she complained about the public kiss, which the couple insisted was just a peck on the cheek. They were arrested in November and convicted of inappropriate behaviour and illegal drinking.
Cosmopolitan Dubai has the most relaxed social codes in the conservative Gulf, but authorities enforce strict decency laws and regularly crack down on people accused of pushing the limits, which can include everything from wearing a mini skirt to losing one's temper in traffic.
Najafi and Adams attended Sunday's hearing, but did not speak. Their lawyer, Khalaf al-Hosany, told the court in a previous hearing that they kissed on the cheek as a greeting and "never intended to break the law."
Appeals court judge Iysar Fouad upheld the conviction, the jail time and a fine of 1,000 dirhams – about £180 – each. They will be deported after serving their sentences. Dubai court upholds one-month jail sentence for kissing couple >>> | Easter Sunday, April 04, 2010
20MINUTES.ch: Une cour d'appel a confirmé dimanche à Dubaï la peine d'un mois de prison prononcée contre un couple britannique accusé de s'être embrassé en public.
Ayman Najafi et Charlotte Adams, qui ont tous deux entre 20 et 30 ans, ont été arrêtés en novembre dernier lorsqu'une femme des Emirats les a accusés d'avoir échangé un baiser passionné dans un restaurant où elle dînait avec sa fille.
Ils ont été inculpés de comportement inapproprié et de consommation illégale d'alcool.
Ayman Najafi et Charlotte Adams ont simplement échangé une bise sur la joue pour se saluer et «n'ont jamais eu l'intention de violer la loi», avait déclaré leur avocat Khalas al-Hosany lors d'une audience précédente. >>> ap | Dimanche 04 Avril 2010
