A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has convicted an 18 year old girl (“LH”) to one year in prison for “consensual sex.”  The UAE court convicted her because she agreed to be alone in the car with a man “YM.”

As previously reported, the teenage girl had previously alleged that she was gang raped by six men.  the UAE “The Nation” newspaper reported that LH had “12 bruises ranging from 1cm to 7 cm long on her upper lip, hands, thighs, knee, and behind her left ear.”  LH indicated that her brother had beaten her, although the beatings happened at different times.

However, after the teenage girl “LH” filed charges of rape, according to the “The Nation” on May 25, “LH” was then charged with the crime of “extramarital sex,” which could have led to a penalty of “lashes and a maximum sentence of life in prison,” with a minimum of three years in prison.  LH then pleaded with the court to allow her to withdraw the rape charges, while one of the accused rapists laughed at her in court.  According to the LA Times, LH appeared before the court “shackled and clothed in an inmate’s uniform of hunter green and a black headscarf” and “she rescinded the allegations ‘to get out of’ jail, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.”

The UAE court had reportedly considered the lesser criminal charge of “deception” against “LH,” but chose to convict of “consensual sex,” with a sentence of  1 year in prison.

One of the alleged rapists was also convicted of “consensual sex” with a sentence of 1 year in prison.  Two of the men were given sentences of three months in prison “for being alone in the company of a woman.”  The other men were only given fines.

According to “The Nation” that fines represented an application of Sharia law only, whereas the other convictions were a combination of UAE law and Sharia law together.

Human Rights Watch’s Middle East North Africa researcher Nadya Khalife told the Los Angeles Times that “The major legal ramification for women who have been raped is that they will most likely be charged with illegal sex or sex outside marriage. Illicit sex carries a harsh sentence of imprisonment and/or flogging.

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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) supports women’s rights and children’s rights and protection for all those who live in fear of oppression and violence.

We urge all to support universal human rights and dignity for all people, in accordance with our universal human rights.

We urge all to Choose Love, Not Hate.  Love Wins.

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Related R.E.A.L. Postings:

UAE: Muslim Woman Faces Lashes, Life in Prison for Sex

UAE: Victims of Rape in Dubai Face Jail

United Arab Emirates: Pair Jailed for Kissing

UAE: British Woman Raped, Then Arrested and Put in Jail for “Illegal Sex”
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Other Media Reports:

UAE The Nation: Woman who alleged rape jailed for a year

Los Angeles Times: Dubai: Alleged victim of gang rape sentenced to one year in prison

May 25, 2010 – The Nation: Emirati woman, 18, retracts claim of rape by six men