Police in Dubai arrested a group of people on charges of public debauchery. A widely shared video showed naked women posing on a balcony in the city.
UAE follows Islamic laws or Sharia. Violations of the public decency law in the United Arab Emirates carry penalties of up to six months in prison. Violators also get a 5,000 dirham ($1,360) fine. Violations of the public decency law also include nudity and other lewd behavior. Meanwhile, the sharing of pornographic material is also punishable with prison time and hefty fines under the country’s laws.
Late on Saturday, videos and photographs depicting over a dozen naked women, lined up on a balcony went viral on social media. They were being filmed in Dubai’s upscale Marina neighbourhood in broad daylight.
It came as a shock in the federation of seven Arab sheikhdoms. In UAE, tamer behavior, like kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license, has landed people in jail. State-linked newspaper The National reported it appeared to be a publicity stunt, without elaborating, said AP.
Dubai police said those arrested over the indecent video had been referred to the public prosecution.
‘Such behaviors are against Emirati society’
Such unacceptable behaviors, the police statement said, do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society.
The UAE, while liberal in many regards compared to its Middle Eastern neighbors, has strict laws governing expression. People also get jail for their comments and videos online. The country’s majority of state-owned telecom companies block access to major pornographic websites.
Last year, Saudi Arabia had allowed a ‘bold photoshoot’ of international models for the first time in the holy city of Madina and people hated it. Meanwhile, an Indian man confessed to betraying his country for nudes.
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