Dubai police have arrested a group of people accused of public debauchery for a shared video showing naked women posing on a city balcony
DUBAI, UAE – Dubai police arrested a group of people accused of public debauchery, authorities reported, for a widely shared video showing naked women posing on a city balcony.
Violations of the law of public decency in the UAE, including nudity and other “obscure conduct,” carry penalties of up to six months in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams ($ 1,360). The exchange of pornographic material is also punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines under the laws of the country, which are based on Islamic law or Shariah.
On Saturday afternoon, videos and photographs depicting more than a dozen naked women, lined up on a balcony while filming in Dubai’s exclusive neighborhood in broad daylight, splashed across social media. It was a clash in the federation of seven Arab sheiks, where tamer behavior, such as kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license, has caused people to be taken to prison. The state-linked newspaper The National reported that it appeared to be an “advertising ploy,” without detail.
Dubai police said those arrested for the “indecent” video had been referred to the public prosecutor’s office.
“These unacceptable behaviors,” the police statement said, “do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society.”
The UAE, despite being liberal in many ways compared to its Middle Eastern neighbors, has strict laws governing expression. People have been jailed for their online comments and videos. Major state-owned telecommunications companies in the country block access to major pornographic websites.