British teenager Marcus Fakana jailed in Dubai over holiday romance with girl

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. His representative Radha Stirling, from Detained in Dubai, branded the sentence an “utter disgrace” and said Mr Fakana would appeal. They want to see him home and a year in prison is not only unreasonable, it’s an utter disgrace.” open image in gallery Keir Starmer at last year’s Cop28 summit in Dubai Ms Stirling, a veteran expert witness in extradition cases involving the United Arab Emirates, said that the British government had abandoned the teenager, singling out Sir Keir Starmer who had spent the weekend in the Gulf state. It wasn’t a difficult job.” open image in gallery Dubai has only recently made sex out of marriage legal for tourists Mr Fakana claims he was unaware the girl, who is also from London and has since turned 18, was months younger than him when they first met. An Emirati government spokesman said: “Dubai’s legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings.” Dubai has only recently made sex out of marriage legal for tourists but the country still has a strict Islamic legal system in place.