Singaporeans arrested at UAE to be fined and deported instead of facing jail

Following intercessions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, multiple meetings with the Singapore Embassy and public outcry, two Singaporeans who were arrested and sentenced to 1 year in prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for “wearing women’s clothes in public and for behaving indecently” have had their sentences reduced significantly.

An official told The National, a UAE newspaper, that the sentence has been reduced to a Dh10,000 fine (about S$3,600) and deportation.

26-year-old Fadli Rahman and 37-year-old Nur Qistina Fitriah Ibrahim, were arrested in a shopping centre in the UAE on 9 August and sentenced to a year in jail on 20 August for cross-dressing and indecent behaviour.

Cross-dressing, homosexuality, and transgender behaviour are criminal offenses in the UAE. The duo initially had until 4 September to appeal the sentence.

It has been reported that Nur Qistina is a transgender who has not undergone sex reassignment surgery to become a woman but has undergone a legal name change. Fadli is a fashion photographer who was in Abu Dhabi for a photoshoot.’

Fadli’s sister, Shida Rahman, started a crowdfunding campaign to fund legal representation for her brother and Nur Qistina. The family hoped to raise a total of S$25,000 and surpassed their target on Friday, 25 August.

The campaign organisers said that they intend to get in touch with each donor individually.