British pair accused of kissing in public in Dubai await appeal
Two Britons must await an appeal decision in Dubai after they were charged with indecency for public kiss
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Monday, 15, Mar 2010 11:41
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Two Britons charged with indecency after being accused of kissing in public in Dubai will have to wait until next month to have their appeal heard.
Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Adams, 26, who both deny the charges, claim they pecked each other on the cheek as they greeted each other at a restaurant in the city's Jumeirah Beach Residence complex in November.
They were arrested following the incident, for breaching Dubai's strict decency laws, with reports from the country's misdemeanors court saying a woman complained to authorities after witnessing the alleged offence.
Both have been sentenced to a month in jail, although they are now appealing the decision and are out on bail.
Mr Najafi said: "I could have accepted the sentence. But I believe I have done nothing wrong, and I want to stand up for that."
At the appeal hearing on Sunday, he said: "We kissed each other on the cheek as a greeting, nothing more."
The court reserved its verdict until April 4th, renewing the couple's bail but keeping their passports so that they cannot leave the United Arab Emirates.