DUBAI - A British woman and Irish man accused of engaging in sexual activities in a Dubai taxi were sentenced yesterday to three months in prison and then deportation, their lawyer said.
The case is the latest in which Westerners have fallen foul of the United Arab Emirates' decency laws, highlighting cultural differences as the UAE seeks a balance between maintaining its Muslim identity and catering for a tourism industry.
Rebecca Blake and Conor McRedmond both denied charges of "breach of honour with consent" and committing "an indecent act in a taxi" when they appeared in court last month. They also pleaded guilty to a third charge related to consumption of alcohol in public.
"The court sentenced them to jail for three months and deportation in addition to a fine of 3000 dirhams (R7300) each," their lawyer Shaker al-Shammary said.
He said they would appeal.
There have been several cases in recent years of Westerners accused of violating decency laws in Dubai, the most cosmopolitan of the seven-member UAE federation.
In 2010, a British couple were sentenced to a month in jail and fined for kissing on the mouth in a restaurant in Dubai.
The cultural chasm in the Gulf Arab state is conspicuous in everyday life.
Expatriates make up more than 90% of the UAE's population.
Jail time for 'sex' in taxi
DUBAI - A British woman and Irish man accused of engaging in sexual activities in a Dubai taxi were sentenced yesterday to three months in prison and then deportation, their lawyer said.
The case is the latest in which Westerners have fallen foul of the United Arab Emirates' decency laws, highlighting cultural differences as the UAE seeks a balance between maintaining its Muslim identity and catering for a tourism industry.
Rebecca Blake and Conor McRedmond both denied charges of "breach of honour with consent" and committing "an indecent act in a taxi" when they appeared in court last month. They also pleaded guilty to a third charge related to consumption of alcohol in public.
"The court sentenced them to jail for three months and deportation in addition to a fine of 3000 dirhams (R7300) each," their lawyer Shaker al-Shammary said.
He said they would appeal.
There have been several cases in recent years of Westerners accused of violating decency laws in Dubai, the most cosmopolitan of the seven-member UAE federation.
In 2010, a British couple were sentenced to a month in jail and fined for kissing on the mouth in a restaurant in Dubai.
The cultural chasm in the Gulf Arab state is conspicuous in everyday life.
Expatriates make up more than 90% of the UAE's population.
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