Another British woman, Marnie Pearce, served a three month prison sentence earlier this year after her Egyptian former husband accused her of cheating on him whilst living in Dubai.
Mrs Antia, 44, who had been living in Dubai with her husband and two daughters aged 11 and 13 for twelve years, was arrested last month as she left a hotel in the early hours of the morning. Her husband Vincent, 48, allegedly reported his wife’s affair to the United Emirates police.
Adultery in the UK is often cited as a factor in the breakdown of a marriage but does not result in criminal charges. Adultery in the United Arab Emirates is illegal and punishable by jail followed by deportation. Unmarried couples often check into Dubai’s five-star hotels although police do not regularly raid or follow suspected adulterers but act when a complaint is made. Tim Hancock, Campaigns Director of Amnesty International UK, said “Sally Antia should not be sent to prison. The sex lives of consenting adults shouldn’t be a criminal matter.”
Danielle Bennett