Dubai court upholds 1-month jail sentence for British couple who kissed in restaurant
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A Dubai appeals court on Sunday upheld a one-month prison sentence for a British couple convicted of kissing in a restaurant.
The pair landed in court after an Emirati woman complained about the public kiss, which the couple insisted was just a peck on the cheek. They were arrested in November and convicted of inappropriate behavior and illegal drinking.
Cosmopolitan Dubai has the most relaxed social codes in the conservative Gulf, but authorities enforce strict decency laws and regularly crack down on people accused of pushing the limits, which can include everything from wearing a mini skirt to losing one’s temper in traffic.
As recently as Sunday, though, a young Italian-Iranian couple could be seen kissing among the visitors to the 127th floor observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.
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