'Kiss' jail man vows to clear name
Briton facing jail in Dubai accused of kissing a woman in public vowed to clear his name
Saturday March 13 2010
A British man facing jail in Dubai after he was accused of kissing a woman in public has vowed to clear his name.
Ayman Najafi, 24, will appear in court on Sunday alongside a 25-year old female British tourist to appeal against a one-month prison sentence.
In a phone call to his distraught mother, Mr Najafi said: "I haven't done anything wrong mum, hopefully I will clear my name and then I can come back."
The pair were allegedly seen kissing on the mouth in a restaurant, breaching Dubai's strict decency laws. They were arrested by police in November last year and appeared in court last week.
According to reports, a judge at Dubai's Misdemeanours Court heard written evidence from the 38-year-old mother who initially complained to police. She said she was offended by their behaviour at the Jumeirah Beach Residence, where she was dining with her daughter.
The judge dismissed Mr Najafi's claim that he had merely kissed the woman on the cheek and sentenced both defendants to a month in jail followed by deportation.
The Dubai authorities are holding their passports so that they cannot leave the country. Mr Najafi has been working for marketing firm Hay Group in Dubai for about 18 months.
Speaking from the family home in Palmers Green, north London, his mother Maida Najafi said she discovered the news on Saturday morning and was still in shock.
She said: "My Ayman is a good boy, he's very wise and mature. I can't believe it. I don't think it's true. I can't believe it. He's not like that at all. He's been there for one and a half years and he's never been in trouble. He knows the rules over there. He would never do that. He wouldn't even do it over here."
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a British national was arrested in Dubai on November 27. Consular assistance was provided at the time."
