British teenager released from Dubai jail after royal pardon
Marcus Fakana, 18, of Tottenham, north London, received the pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and is safely in the UK, Detained In Dubai said.
The group's chief executive Radha Stirling said Mr Fakana "is currently recovering".
She added: "His case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.
"We believe this case highlights the urgent need for expedited legal processes for foreign nationals and safeguards against unnecessary custodial sentences."
Mr Fakana was with his parents in the United Arab Emirates when a "holiday romance blossomed" with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, the campaign group previously said.
He was arrested at his hotel last year after the girl's mother reported the relationship to Dubai police after she allegedly found their pictures and chats.
In Dubai, the age of consent is 18.
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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
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Nineteen-year-old Marcus Fakana has now been released from a hellish Dubai prison, following what has been a traumatic year for the teenager after he was jailed for having sex with another teen British teen Marcus Fakana has at last been freed from a Dubai prison - and it's likely his 12 months of hell will have resulted in significant trauma. Nineteen-year-old Marcus, from Tottenham, north London, had been staying with family in the United Arab Emirates city when he struck up a holiday romance with another teenager, who was also from London, at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah. The pair had consensual sex, but as the girl was still a few weeks off her 18th birthday, the then 1 8-year-old Marcus faced severe consequences under the harsh legal system of the UAE, where sex between under-18s is illegal. 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"He's positive that he will get a pardon, and that's what he's focused on right now. It's obviously a very traumatic time and experience. Keep writing to your MPs, keep boycotting Dubai and keep making sure this is at the forefront of everyone's thoughts while he is in prison. Let's not forget about him." Cruel conditions Located some 30km from influencer hotspot Dubai, al-Awir Central Prison is a far cry from the luxury shopping malls and high-end restaurants associated with the glamorous city. According to a report earlier this year, rape is an "every day occurrence" at the jail, with both inmates and guards subjected to frequent violent assaults. Male prisoners must have shaved heads at all times, while female inmates, who are kept in separate buildings, reportedly have to wear head coverings. They are packed into overcrowded cells, with as many as 20 inmates battling for three beds. 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Daily Record
2 hours ago
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Third man appears in court after 'machete murder bid' on Mark Richardson associate
Anthony Brown was arrested and charged after officers executed a warrant in Blantyre at around 9.45am on Friday, July 4. A third man has appeared in court following the alleged "attempted murder" of one of Mark Richardson's top associates. Anthony Brown, 49, was arrested and charged after officers executed a warrant in Blantyre at around 9.45am on Friday, July 4. It came after David McMillan, 54, was allegedly attacked with machetes outside his house on Pitcairn Grove in Edinburgh on Thursday, May 22. Brown appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday charged with assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder and being in possession of a blade. He made no plea, was committed for further examination and remanded in custody to appear again at the court within eight days. Two men have already appeared in court over the incident. Arran Reid, 26, and Joshua Stewart, 20, made their first appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, June 17. Reid was charged with assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder, reset, possession of blade, attempt to defeat ends of justice, possession of firearm and ammunition. Stewart was charged with assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, attempted murder, reset and attempt to defeat the ends of justice. Both made no plea and were remanded in custody. Police Scotland also confirmed on Friday that they had made a further arrest in connection with Operation Portaledge, the investigation into gang-related incidents in the East and West of the country, bringing the total number to 52. Officers also arrested a 22-year-old man on Thursday, July 3, in connection with wilful fire-raising to two vehicles on Campion Road and Niddrie Marischal Crescent in Edinburgh on June 9. He was released pending further enquiries. Police launched a probe after a Transit van was targeted on Niddrie Marischal Crescent in the capital. Minutes prior, a Range Rover was torched outside another home on nearby Campion Road. This is the second arrest in connection with this incident. A 17-year-old was also arrested and charged in connection with the incidents last week. He was released on an undertaking and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date. Dubai-based gangster Ross McGill's faceless and frightening enforcers Tamo Junto (TMJ), claimed responsibility for the attacks in a video shared shortly after the attacks. The footage showed flames bursting out of the Range Rover and the Ford Transit van. In one clip a hooded figure can be seen standing with an accelerant canister before he backs away from the fireball. The video played the song Two Tribes by 80s pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ended with emojis of a black pawn chess piece and a sand timer appearing side by side. The Transit van was blown up at a home linked to Richardson's pal Paddy Beatson, on Niddrie Marischal Crescent which had been attacked twice previously in recent months. The attacks are part of a series of violent incidents across Scotland after a major turf war kicked off in March. The ongoing feud was sparked after Richardson's men bought £500k of cocaine from McGill with fake cash.
