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- Feb 12, 2007
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Dubai Kissing Brits Face Wait On Jail Fate
Jumeirah Beach where the
alleged offence took place
Sky NewsJumeirah Beach where the
alleged offence took place
A British man and woman appealing a prison sentence in Dubai for kissing in public must wait until next month to find out if they will be jailed.
Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Adams, 25, were due to contest a one-month prison sentence, but a court has ruled their appeal will not be heard until April 4.
The pair were arrested in November last year after a diner complained they had kissed in a hotel restaurant, breaching Dubai's strict decency laws.
Mr Najafi, who works in Dubai, and Miss Adams, a tourist, appeared in Dubai's Misdemeanours Court last week.
Miss Adams hails from north London
The case is the third time in under two years in which Britons have hit the headlines by falling foul of decency laws in Dubai.
The judge reportedly heard written evidence from a 38-year-old Emirati mother who initially complained to police because her child had seen their alleged indiscretion.
Mr Najafi claimed he had merely kissed Miss Adams on the cheek and the two were just friends.
"There was no lip kissing. It was just a normal greeting that is not considered offensive," the pair's lawyer Khalaf al Hosani told the court.
But his argument was dismissed by the judge.
Both defendants were sentenced to a month in jail followed by deportation, but were bailed pending their appeal against the sentence.
The Dubai authorities are holding their passports so that they cannot leave the country.
Miss Adams's flatmate Jade Christa Williams said her friend had been "caught up in a huge misunderstanding".
"Charlotte is not at all disrespectful of Dubai's laws and fully understands their culture," she said.
"Charlotte is completely innocent and is looking forward to coming home soon to carry on with her life and put this behind her."
Mr Najafi moved to Dubai to work for marketing firm Hay Group in Dubai around 18 months ago.
Speaking from the family home in Palmers Green, north London, his mother said her son had vowed to clear his name and come home.
"My Ayman is a good boy, he's very wise and mature. I don't think it's true. He's not like that at all," Maida Najafi said.
"He's been there for one and a half years and he's never been in trouble. He knows the rules over there.
"He said, 'I haven't done anything wrong mum, hopefully I will clear my name and then I can come back'."
Commenting on the case, Adel Darwish of the Middle East magazine told Sky News that police in Dubai would usually tolerate such a misdemeanour.
"Perhaps if the woman had not complained, nothing would have happened. I think in recent weeks though, the police are wanting to be seen to be tough," he said.
Mr Darwish added that he thought further cases involving a harsh reaction to a "petty" crime could have the effect of driving much-needed tourists away.
"Dubai had a reputation of being tolerant - you can actually drink in restaurants," he said.
"They've got a lot to lose in this economic climate."