Pakistani couple dodges jail time in Dubai for having sex in car

Charlotte Adams and Ayman Najafi were forced to spent a month in prison for kissing in public in Dubai.

Having sex behind tinted windows saved a young couple from going to jail in Dubai.

A pair convicted last year escaped a month in prison, after arguing in an appeals court that they were not guilty of public indecency because they were in their car.

"We're definitely happy and a little bit surprised," Majid Al Kabban, a lawyer for the couple, said. "Usually this type of thing goes in a different way."

The 28-year-old man and his 24-year-old wife successfully argued in the appeals court that their car should be treated like a private house.

Their lawyers argued that because of the car's tinted windows, a policeman who had raised the charge could not have seen what the couple was doing inside.

The two were initially busted in May 2009, after cops investigated their vehicle, which was parked after dark at a beachfront retail center.

Meanwhile, after several of its citizens in the last year have gotten into legal trouble in Dubai over similar incidents, British officials have posted a list of "Do's & Don'ts in Dubai" on the British Embassy's United Arab Emirate's Web site.

"If you want to face possible arrest and imprisonment then ignore the follow[ing] advice!" the site states, followed by the warnings:

• Alcohol consumption is only allowed in licensed restaurants, pubs, clubs, private venues, and at home (for residents who have acquired an alcohol license).
• Drugs are strictly forbidden. Consuming or carrying drugs, even if you are passing through the Dubai airport from one country to another, could result in a standard four-year imprisonment sentence and deportation.
• Sexual relationships outside of marriage are illegal. While Dubai may attract many thousands of Brits every year to their hotels and resorts, be aware, if you come to the attention of the police authorities, even in a hotel while on holiday, you could be arrested for co-habiting.
• Dancing is allowed in the privacy of your home or at licensed clubs but dancing in public is classed as indecent and provocative.
• Sexual harassment or randomly addressing women in public, or taking their photos without permission, is strictly frowned upon.
• Holding hands for married couples is tolerated, but kissing and hugging is considered an offense against public decency. Other displays of affection among any couples in public places, regardless of marital status, are not accepted.

The site also warns tourists to "dress appropriately."

"Shorts and skirts should be of appropriate length, and clothing should not be transparent or indecently expose parts of the body," the site states.

Last month, a British man was accused of giving the middle finger to an Iraqi aviation student. This followed reports of a British couple who were ultimately lost a legal battle to avoid jail for kissing in public.