Dubai police have arrested a group of people on charges of public promiscuity, authorities said in a widely shared video showing naked women on a balcony in the city.
Violations of the law of public decency in the United Arab Emirates, including for nudity and other ‘obscene conduct’, carry up to six months in prison and a fine of $ 1,360. The sharing of pornographic material is also punishable by imprisonment and large fines under the country’s laws, which are based on Islamic law, or sharia.
Late Saturday, videos and photos depicting more than a dozen naked women – set up on a balcony while filming in broad daylight in Dubai’s luxurious Marina area – splashed across social media. It was a shock in the federation of seven Arab sheikh dams, where simple behaviors, such as kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license, landed people in jail. A state newspaper, The National, reported that it was a ‘publicity stunt’ without elaborating.
Dubai police said those arrested for the “obscene” video were referred to the public prosecution.
“Such unacceptable conduct,” the police statement read, “does not reflect the values and ethics of Emirate society.”
The UAE, although liberal in many respects compared to its Middle Eastern neighbors, has strict laws governing expression. People were jailed for their comments and videos online. The country’s majority of state-owned telecommunications companies are blocking access to major pornographic sites.