DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) says it has released two young men it detained over their “selfie” in front of a New Year’s Eve hotel fire.
The Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency reported the news late Friday, citing Essam Al-Humaidan, the attorney general of the city-state of Dubai.
He says the two unidentified men were released after investigators found “no evidence of criminal intent.”
The Attorney General (AG) said that the Public Prosecution in Dubai has decided to release the two young men following a thorough investigation and review of the posted picture and case file and after listening to all witnesses.
The Public Prosecution has closed the case since no evidence of criminal intent has been established against the young men.
The Attorney General called on individuals to exercise caution and discretion when posting any material on social media and refrain from spreading rumors, defaming others or violating other people’s freedom so that they do not breach any laws.
The 63-story Address Downtown luxury hotel caught fire just before a fireworks display at the nearby Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
The hotel burned through the fireworks display and into the new year.
While liberal compared to much of the Middle East, the Emirates has a cybercrime law under which people can be arrested, imprisoned and deported for taking photographs without the consent of those shown.
Meanwhile, a French operations manager who taped a small camera to the bottom of a carrier bag then stood close to women in skirts in a shopping mall and took indecent photos, has had his sentence upheld by the Dubai Court of Appeal, The National reported on Saturday.
In September last year, 39-year-old H R denied the sexual assault of several women in Dubai Criminal Court. “I have never taken such pictures,” he said.
Records stated that H R was spotted using the camera on May 8, 2013, by a shop supervisor at Mall of the Emirates who reported him to a security guard.
“I felt it was strange and kept looking,” said supervisor K S, 26. “I saw him do the same to another woman standing near the first one and also wearing a skirt.”
A Dubai Police forensics report said the camera had obscene pictures of women, 23 deleted files of similar photos and 22 others of an obscene nature.
The report also found 293 deleted photos of women in public places, some of which were of their intimate parts.
Prosecutors said H R confessed to filming women without their knowledge under investigation.
He then denied this in court. After being convicted he appealed against the six-month jail sentence and lost.
He will be deported after the completion of his sentence. — Agencies
