Dubai jail sentence upheld for UK kissing couple[ 2010-04-06 15:55 ]
An Iranian-Italian couple Elham, left, and Raman, who declined to give their family names, are seen after they kissed on the observation deck of world tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, April 4, 2010. (Agencies)
Get Flash PlayerA Dubai appeals court on Sunday upheld a one-month prison sentence for a British couple convicted of kissing in a restaurant.
The pair landed in court after an Emirati woman complained about the public kiss, which the couple insisted was just a peck on the cheek. They were arrested in November and convicted of inappropriate behavior and illegal drinking.
Cosmopolitan Dubai has the most relaxed social codes in the conservative Gulf, but authorities enforce strict decency laws and regularly crack down on people accused of pushing the limits, which can include everything from wearing a mini skirt to losing one's temper in traffic.
As recently as Sunday, though, a young Italian-Iranian couple could be seen kissing among the visitors to the 127th floor observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper.
Last month an Indian couple was sentenced to three months in jail for exchanging steamy text messages. In 2008, two Britons accused of having sex on the beach got three months in jail, though their sentences were later suspended.
Ayman Najafi and Charlotte Adams — both in their 20s — were arrested after an Emirati woman claimed they exchanged a passionate kiss in a restaurant where she and her daughter were having dinner.
Najafi and Adams attended Sunday's hearing, but did not speak. Their lawyer, Khalaf al-Hosany, told the court in a previous hearing that they kissed on the cheek as a greeting and "never intended to break the law."
Appeals court judge Iysar Fouad upheld the conviction, the jail time and a fine of 1,000 dirhams — about $270 — each. They will be deported after serving their sentences.
The couple has 30 days to appeal Sunday's ruling in a higher court.
Their lawyer said Najafi and Adams were not in a relationship, but knew each other before they met in Dubai.
Najafi worked for a marketing firm in Dubai and Adams was visiting the Muslim city-state with a Western outlook that has become famous for its beaches, ever-taller skyscrapers and anything-goes attitude.
(Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)
点击查看更多双语新闻(Agencies)
一对英国男女因在迪拜一家餐厅接吻而被判处一个月的监禁。两人因不服判决随后提出上诉，但迪拜一家上诉法院于上周日宣布维持原判。
当时，这对英国男女因当众接吻而受到一名阿联酋妇女的投诉并闹上法院，但他们坚称当时两人只是亲吻面颊而已。这对男女于去年11月因行为不当及非法饮酒的罪名被捕。
国际大都会迪拜的社会规范在保守的海湾地区算是最宽松的，但当地有关部门实行的礼仪法规却十分严格，经常对那些被控“出格”的人进行制裁，其中包括穿超短裙、在交通行驶中发脾气等各种行为。
但就在上周日，一对年轻的意大利－伊朗籍情侣在世界最高建筑迪拜哈利法塔第127层的观景台上当众接吻，很多游客都目睹了这一幕。
上月，一对印度情侣因互发暧昧短信被判处三个月监禁。2008年，两名英国人因被指在海滩公开发生性关系被判三个月监禁，但之后获缓刑。
这对名叫艾曼•纳杰菲和夏洛特•亚当斯的20多岁的英国男女被一名迪拜妇女指控在餐厅内热吻而被捕，当时这名妇女正和女儿在餐厅用餐。
纳杰菲和亚当斯于上周日出庭听审，但没有发言。他们的律师哈拉夫•侯萨尼在之前的一次听审中告诉法院，两人只是亲吻了面颊，这是一种问候的礼节，“绝非有意违反法律”。
上诉法院法官伊萨尔·福阿德宣布维持原判，判处两人一个月的监禁，以及每人1000迪拉姆（约270美元）的罚款。刑满后两人将被驱逐出境。
这对男女可在30天内向更高一级法院提起上诉。
他们的律师称，纳杰菲和亚当斯并非情侣关系，但在迪拜相遇前就已结识。
纳杰菲就职于迪拜一家市场营销公司，亚当斯当时正在这个穆斯林城邦游览。迪拜颇具西式风格，以海滩、世界最高建筑以及随和的民风而著称。
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Vocabulary:
Emirati：Emirati people (Arabic: ???????) are citizens and ethnic group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).（阿联酋居民）
steamy：Informal. passionate or erotic（色情而狂放的）
