British teen jailed for having sex in Dubai preparing pardon bid from city’s ruler

A teenager who has been jailed in Dubai for having consensual sex with a 17-year-old girl is appealing his sentence.

Marcus Fakana was sentenced to one year behind bars in December last year after turning himself over to the United Arab Emirates authorities.

Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling, who has been supporting the teenager throughout his case, has said foreign secretary David Lammy is backing his bid for freedom.

‘David Lammy has promised a support letter to accompany the pardon request, but he could certainly do more,’ Ms Stirling told the Mirror.

‘Frankly it was a dereliction of duty to remove himself as the foreign secretary only for Marcus’ case, citing a conflict of interest since he couldn’t act as both MP and foreign secretary.’

Ms Stirling said the British Embassy has been in regular touch with the teenager and a pardon application has been prepared. 

‘Marcus is praying that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, will pardon him,’ she said 

The teenager, who is from Tottenham, north London, struck up a romantic relationship with a girl, who is also from London, while their families were on holiday in August last year.

The girl’s mother reported Fakana to authorities after she found out that the pair had sex.

In the UAE, it is against the law to have sexual relations with people aged under 18 outside of marriage.

If the girl was still in Dubai, she would have been arrested as well.

Ms Stirling said Labour MP Bell Ribiero-Addy has also written a letter calling for the Fakana’s release. 

Fakana spent his 19th birthday in  a prison reported to have ‘torturous’ and ‘hellish’ conditions, and was kept from contact with his family.

Inmates at Al-Awir prison, where Fakana is being held, have reported suffering from horrific illnesses and being tortured for confessions.

The Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.

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