UK Teen Jailed Over 'Holiday Romance' in Dubai Is Pardoned

A 19-year-old British man imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for having sex with a 17-year-old has been released with a royal pardon. Marcus Fakana from north London was vacationing in the UAE last year when a "holiday romance blossomed" between himself and another British teen on vacation, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai. Though it was a consensual sexual relationship, the girl was a month from turning 18—the age of consent in the UAE, the Guardian reports. When the girl returned to the UK, her mother learned of the relationship and reported Fakana to UAE authorities, per the BBC. Fakana, who reportedly didn't know the girl was 17, was sentenced to a year in prison in December.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy previously said the teen would have "all the support available" to him, but noted travelers to other countries should "follow the rules." Detained in Dubai said it was an "utter disgrace," noting the UK government "should be ashamed they have not secured the freedom of a teenage tourist" as "it wasn't a difficult job." On Monday, however, the group announced Fakana had received a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and returned to London on Thursday. "This was an extraordinary young man caught in a deeply unjust system," said Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling. See more from the group here.