DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 21 (UPI) -- A British woman convicted under Dubai's strict decency laws for kissing in public says she has given up trying to appeal her sentence and has gone to jail.
Charlotte Adams, 26, was accused of kissing British friend Ayman Najafi on the lips at a beach restaurant while visiting the emirate in November, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.
"Charlotte didn't have the time or resources to appeal again," Najafi said. "It's not an admission of guilt. She just had no chance -- if she had an income and resources she would have fought on."
The kiss was allegedly seen by the children of an Emirati woman sitting at a nearby table in Bob's Easy Diner at 2 a.m. local time Nov. 27. After the woman reported Adams and Najafi to police, they were arrested, charged, found guilty without the witness giving evidence and sentenced to a month in jail, the Telegraph reported.
Najafi is hoping to take his appeal to Dubai's highest court but is weighing the potential cost.
"I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I have an income," he said. "But though it's very difficult to accept I'm just weighing it up now."
Najafi said Adams, an estate agent from north London, was stunned from the entire incident.
"It was a bit of a shock," he said. "She's probably one of the only British people inside. But I think she's handling it quite well."
