A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl is back in the UK after being freed by a royal pardon.
Markus Fakana, who was 18 at the time, was on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August 2024 when he struck up a holiday romance with the British girl who was staying at the same hotel.
The girl’s mother reported him to local authorities after discovering messages between the teenagers.
Mr Fakana, from Tottenham, north London, was jailed for several months after being sentenced to serve a year in prison last December.
Now aged 19, he has been released and returned to the UK on 3 July, after receiving a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the campaign group Detained in Dubai said
Detained in Dubai chief executive Radha Stirling said: “It all happened so fast and he was nervous until the plane left the tarmac.
“We are relieved Marcus was released early from his one-year-long prison sentence. He's currently recovering from the ordeal.”
In an official statement, Ms Stirling added: “Marcus should never have been put through this. He was supposed to spend a short few days with his family but ended up spending nearly a year in the tourist destination.”
The UAE has only recently made sex outside of marriage legal for tourists, but under UAE law, the 17-year-old girl was a minor. Her mother, her legal guardian, reportedly filed the complaint against Mr Fakana.
Mr Fakana claimed he was unaware the girl, who is also from London and has since turned 18, was months younger than him when they first met. In the UK, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16.
He was serving his sentence at Al-Aweer jail, also known as the Dubai Central Prison for Men, before his release.
The prison houses death row inmates and some of Dubai’s worst criminals – including terrorists, murderers and rapists, according to reports.
There were reports of poor food handling and inadequate general hygiene in special detention facilities for drug offenders.
Media reports and NGOs stated some detainees in State Security Department custody did not receive adequate access to medical care.
Speaking in temporary accommodation while on bail, last year, Mr Fakana told Detained in Dubai: “My family and I are devastated and in shock.
“I never intended to break the law. It didn’t occur to me at the time and for that, I’m sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. Please give me my life back.”
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