Police in Dubai have arrested a group of women including eleven Ukrainians and a Russian photographer, after a steamy nude photoshoot that happened on a balcony in the Marina district went viral on social media.
The women were arrested for violating local public decency laws and were charged with public debauchery for conducting the nude photoshoot outdoor.
According to the Dubai law which is based on Sharia law, public debauchery carries a sentence of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 dirham fine (KSh 106,536.60).
Along with the women, a Russian man was detained too. According to the police, they suspect him of being one of those who sponsored the entire event.
In UAE, people have been arrested and jailed in the past for public display of affection like kissing and homosexual relationships.
A police report says, “such unacceptable behaviours do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society.”
The police further say that local laws are applicable to everyone who lives in or visits the country. “Even tourists are not exempted from these laws.”
The Daily Mail reports that all the women arrested are models from the former Soviet Union i.e Russia, Belarus, Moldova and the 11 Ukrainians.
In 2017, a British woman was sentenced to one year in prison for having sex with a man she wasn’t married to.
A majority of state-owned telecom companies have blocked access to major pornographic websites.