Asian man appeals jail term for filming Emirati students

ABU DHABI // An Asian man who was jailed for three months for filming female Emirati university students at a party is appealing against his sentence.
Al Dhafra Court of First Instance handed the jail sentence and deportation order to the man for violating the privacy of the students by filming and photographing, then displaying their photos to others without consent.
The defendant's lawyer said his client had driven the students to the university then attended the party, where the women were dancing.
The lawyer argued that the students had not objected to being filmed, the defendant did not display the footage publicly and he had only showed it to one of the women's colleagues.
newsdesk@thenational.ae

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'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”