Kissing’ Britons Face Dubai Jail
After an unsuccessful appeal against jail time, two Britons are being sentenced to one month before deportation. A Gulf state court gave the one month jail sentence for breaching the Muslim country's strict decency laws. A Dubai local claimed she had witnessed Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Adams, 25, kissing on the lips in a restaurant in November. Officials have considered the local woman's statement more valid than that of the foreigners although they insist they simply kissed on the cheek when greeting each other and friends at the Jumeirah Beach Resort.
Although the pair has a final opportunity for appeal, many consider this would only prolong the process of an inevitable custodial sentence.
The ruling visibly traumatised both of the accused and their attorney; Khalaf al-Hosani disclosed that he was not confident this latest appeal would be of any use. "We will try and stop the judgement but it is not certain. We are meeting this afternoon to decide what to do. If we do not appeal they will go to jail," he said.
Upon completing their jail terms, the pair will be deported from Dubai; they will also be with a 180 fine each for admitting being drunk in public. Adams was reportedly positive the appeal would cause the sentence to be reduced to a fine and deportation. "Hopefully I'll be going home on Sunday" She said. The appeal was met with immediate dismissal by the Judge Aysar Fouad.
The defence team working for the pair have disputed the quality of the case drawn against them, claiming there were major inconsistencies in the case and that in an original police report, the Emirati woman had stated she had witnessed the pair kissing herself but a later statement confirmed only her children had seen the incident.
Adams is an estate agent from London and was on holiday in Dubai when she was arrested. Najafi has been working in the country for 18 months as a management consultant.
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