40 Women Arrested for Posing Naked on Balcony in Dubai

40 women, including 11 Ukrainian nationals who took part in a naked photoshoot on a balcony in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been arrested. 

The women were apprehended alongside a Russian photographer after the footage went viral on social media, prompting a police crackdown in the city.

The widely shared video showed several naked women posing in broad daylight on a balcony overlooking Dubai’s upscale Marina neighborhood.

“Such unacceptable behaviors do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society,” police said in a statement.

The suspects were charged with public debauchery, which carries a sentence of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 Dirham fine ($1,360).

On Tuesday, Dubai’s Attorney-General Issam Issa al-Humaidan said public prosecution had concluded investigations and those accused of public debauchery would be deported back to their countries.

In the past, people have been arrested in the UAE for public display of affection such as kissing and homosexual relationships. 

A British woman was in 2017 sentenced to one year in prison after she was found guilty of having sex with a man she was not married to.

The UAE has strict moral rules on appearance, where clothing must be restrained and cover most of the body while kissing in public or drinking alcohol without a license can land one in jail. The Gulf nation is governed by an Islamic legal code.