Dubai jail term upheld for kiss couple

A DUBAI appeals court has upheld a one-month prison sentence for a British couple convicted of kissing in a restaurant.

The pair ended up in court after an Emirati woman complained about the kiss, which the couple insisted was just a peck on the cheek. They were arrested in November and convicted of inappropriate behaviour and illegal drinking.

Dubai has the most relaxed social codes in the Gulf, but authorities enforce strict decency laws.

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 dining.

They will be deported after serving their sentences. The couple has 30 days to appeal yesterday’s ruling in a higher court.

Their lawyer said they were not in a relationship, but knew each other before they met in Dubai.