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Woman faces jail in UAE for using ‘strong language’ towards man who sent her unwanted sexual images, campaigners sayPATRIARCHY
US national Melissa McBurnie could face up to two years in prison, according to criminal justice group
Zoe Tidman
Melissa McBurnie has been arrested on suspicion of slander
in the UAE ( Detained in Dubai )
An American woman has been arrested in United Arab Emirates after sending a strongly-worded email to a man who was harassing her with sexual images, a campaign group says.
Melissa McBurnie was detained in Abu Dhabi after being accused of slander, a US embassy spokesperson told The Independent.
An American woman has been arrested in United Arab Emirates after sending a strongly-worded email to a man who was harassing her with sexual images, a campaign group says.
Melissa McBurnie was detained in Abu Dhabi after being accused of slander, a US embassy spokesperson told The Independent.
The woman, from California, messaged a man to tell him to stop sending pornographic images of himself and sexually explicit texts to her, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai.
She “lashed out” in the message to the Egyptian national, who has also shared sexual images of Ms McBurnie with others in the past, the organisation said.
Ms McBurnie was detained after the man reported her email to authorities, they added.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, said: “Melissa has been going through one of the worst nightmares a person can suffer in the age of the internet for the past four years; she has been inundated with abusive messages of an extremely sexual nature.
“Yet, somehow she is the one facing prosecution in the UAE for cybercrime violations, simply because she used strong language against her abuser.”
Ms Stirling added the American woman could face up to two years in prison if convicted.
The US embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told The Independent Ms McBurnie had been arrested for slander and later released on bail.
Ms McBurnie claims the man involved has slandered her and is using a series of explicit messages against her, according to an embassy spokesperson.
She had been in the country since November on a tourist visa and the Egyptian national had lived in the UAE for over 20 years, officials told The Independent.
Ms McBurnie and the married man had been romantically involved, according to Detained in Dubai.
Their relationship turned sour when Ms McBurnie put an end to their affair, the criminal justice organisation claimed.
The group said they expect the woman to held in Dubai until her case is heard in May.
The US State Department has been approached for comment.
She “lashed out” in the message to the Egyptian national, who has also shared sexual images of Ms McBurnie with others in the past, the organisation said.
Ms McBurnie was detained after the man reported her email to authorities, they added.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, said: “Melissa has been going through one of the worst nightmares a person can suffer in the age of the internet for the past four years; she has been inundated with abusive messages of an extremely sexual nature.
“Yet, somehow she is the one facing prosecution in the UAE for cybercrime violations, simply because she used strong language against her abuser.”
Ms Stirling added the American woman could face up to two years in prison if convicted.
The US embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told The Independent Ms McBurnie had been arrested for slander and later released on bail.
Ms McBurnie claims the man involved has slandered her and is using a series of explicit messages against her, according to an embassy spokesperson.
She had been in the country since November on a tourist visa and the Egyptian national had lived in the UAE for over 20 years, officials told The Independent.
Ms McBurnie and the married man had been romantically involved, according to Detained in Dubai.
Their relationship turned sour when Ms McBurnie put an end to their affair, the criminal justice organisation claimed.
The group said they expect the woman to held in Dubai until her case is heard in May.
The US State Department has been approached for comment.
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