Dubai imprisons woman for reporting rape

Norwegian businesswoman Marte Deborah Dalelv Doha - Arab Today A woman who reported being raped in Dubai has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for having "extramarital sex." Norwegian Marte Deborah Dalelv, a Qatar-based expat, was on a business trip to Dubai when the incident occurred. According to sources, the 24-year-old had been drinking with friends in Dubai one night during her trip, and asked a colleague to walk her to her hotel room, which is where he raped her. Dalelv, who has lived in Qatar for two years, also faces charges of perjury and drinking alcohol “without permission." The decision has caused outrage in Norway, with Norwegian diplomats looking to secure her release. The Norwegian Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that the verdict "flies in the face of our notion of justice" and was "highly problematic" in terms of Western human rights. Marte Deborah Dalelv is currently free on appeal, but is under a travel ban. She has been unable to leave the UAE since March.