International Healthcare News: Expat awaits appeals verdict for allegedly kissing in public
15/03/10 16:44
An expatriate and his companion who were both accused of kissing in public in Dubai will find out next month if their one-month prison sentence will be upheld by an appeals court.
Ayman Najafi, an expat living abroad in the Muslim emirate of Dubai, and tourist Charlotte Lewis have been accused of "committing a sexual act" by "kissing on the lips and touching," their lawyer told news agency AFP.
The couple were arrested in November after a witness told police she had spotted them kissing in a restaurant in the Jumeirah Beach Residence district.
The expat and his friend were also accused of drinking alcohol, to which they pleaded guilty.
They were convicted in January this year and were sentenced to one month in jail. Since then the couple have been bailed and their passports are being held by Dubai authorities.
They have denied breaking the emirate's strict decency laws and said they only kissed each other on the cheek. Their verdict will be read out on April 4th.
More than 100,000 British expatriates are currently living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai remains a popular tourist hot-spot despite its strict rules regarding public behaviour.
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