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DUBAI: Dubai Police have arrested a group of people who appeared in an “indecent video” shared online.
According to a statement, a case has been registered against the suspects and they have been referred to the public prosecution. The police have warned against such “unacceptable behaviours”, reminding residents that such acts do not “reflect the values of Emirati society”.
The police said lewd acts are a punishable offence, with penalties ranging from Dh5,000 fine and/or a six-month jail term. Furthermore, publishing pornographic material is punishable with fines of between Dh250,000 to Dh500,000 and/or imprisonment.
The statement warned that anyone who publicly appeals, sings, or engages in lewd speech or seduces others publicly into debauchery in any manner whatsoever, shall be punished as per article 361 of the Federal Penal Code.
The videos and photographs depicting over a dozen women, lined up on a balcony while being filmed in Dubai’s upscale Marina neighbourhood in broad daylight splashed across social media.
It came as a shock in the emirate where behavior like kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license, has landed people in jail. A local newspapers said it appeared to be a publicity stunt without elaborating.
The UAE, while liberal in many regards compared to its Middle Eastern neighbors, has strict laws governing expression. People have been jailed for their comments and videos online. The country’s majority state-owned telecom companies block access to major pornographic websites.
