A Ukrainian woman and her future husband ended up in prison in Abu Dhabi for having sex outside of marriage
A native of South Africa and his fiancee from Ukraine were arrested in Abu Dhabi after a doctor discovered that the girl was pregnant. 29-year-old Emlyn Culverwell and 27-year-old Irina Nogai were detained for illegal sex outside of marriage. The fact is that it is illegal in the UAE to have sex before marriage, and those arrested in connection with this violation can be sentenced to long prison terms.
Irina felt abdominal pain and turned to the Medeor Medical Center, located in the largest shopping center in the Emirate "Yas Mall" (Yas Mall). The doctor found that the girl is expecting a child.
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The couple was detained on January 29, but the details of the arrest became known only now. Culverwell and Nogai were arrested right at the clinic, as they could not produce a marriage certificate. They were first taken to the local police station, and then transferred to Al-Watba prison. They have not been charged yet, as authorities are still investigating whether Emlyn is the father of the child, how long the couple has been in a sexual relationship, as well as Culverwell's HIV status.
Just two days before the arrest, on January 27, Irina and Emlyn got engaged. For the last five years, Culverwell has been working in the UAE in the rescue service of the Yas Waterworld water park. He started dating Irina, who worked as an administrator, in mid-2014.
The South African Foreign Ministry said it was not able to help the couple, since it was about the domestic legislation of the UAE, and advised to find lawyers. The couple's legal defense can cost up to $8,000 per person, according to Times Live.
According to Emlin's mother Linda, Irina was in the early stages of pregnancy and abdominal pain could indicate a miscarriage. She petitioned for the young people to be released from prison, saying that they had done nothing wrong, except that they fell in love with each other. Linda also noted that her son is a fan of a healthy lifestyle, does not smoke, does not drink and does not use drugs. She told News24 that the family is trying to contact Emlin and Irina to let them know that they are loved and that everything will be fine. Since the arrest, no one has been able to contact them.
The only people who can see the arrested are family members with the same surname, and at the moment relatives are calculating the cost of a trip to Abu Dhabi together with lawyers. Herald Live reports that the Christian church on the island of Yas offered to marry the arrested couple, but the judge denied them this right.
Irina Nogai is accused of "zina" — this is the name of adultery in Islamic law, which is criminally punishable in the UAE. Women and couples who are accused of adultery in the UAE are either deported or jailed for at least a year. Every year, hundreds of women, including pregnant women and rape victims, are behind bars on this charge.
Keywords: Abu Dhabi | Pregnancy | Marriage | Laws | Islam | UAE | Engagement | Traditions | Prison