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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — An expat couple living in Abu Dhabi are behind bars for having sex outside marriage.
South African Emlyn Culverwell and his Ukrainian fiancee Iryna Nohai had reportedly been together since around 2014 in Abu Dhabi. The UAE is governed by Islamic sharia law, which prohibits extra marital sexual relations.
According to South African newspaper The Times, Nohai went to a local hospital to find out why she was having stomach cramps. It turned out she was pregnant, but rather than congratulate her, the hospital reported both her and Culverwell for not being able to provide a marriage certificate.
They’ve not been charged but are being detained while cops are investigate their history together and how sexually active Culverwell was.
If found guilty they could both do jail time or be deported.