DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Dubai police have arrested a group of people on charges of public promiscuity, authorities said in a video shared widely showing naked women on a balcony in the city has.
Violations of the Public Decency Act in the United Arab Emirates, including for nudity and other “obscene conduct”, carry up to six months in prison and a fine of 5,000 dirhams ($ 1,360). The sharing of pornographic material is also punishable by imprisonment and large fines under the laws of the land, which are based on Islamic law, or Shariah.
Late Saturday, videos and photos depicting more than a dozen naked women were posted on a balcony while being filmed in broad daylight in the luxurious Marina area of Dubai. It was a shock in the federation of seven Arab sheiks, where easy behaviors, such as kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license, landed people in jail. The state-affiliated newspaper The National reports 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 neighboring countries in the Middle East, 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.