Protesters have marched through central London calling for the release of a teenager in prison in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old British girl.
Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham in north London, was jailed last month after being convicted of having sex with the girl, who has now turned 18, when they were on holiday in September.
The age of consent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 18. The girl’s mother reported him to the authorities in the UAE.
Campaigners marched through Westminster on Saturday, holding a banner that read “Bring Marcus home” as they walked from Parliament Square to Downing Street.
The BBC reported that campaigners claim Fakana is being held in solitary confinement, and has been cut off from any telephone access.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was supporting a British man in the UAE.
Fakana had been on bail since his arrest in September, staying in temporary accommodation in Dubai. He gave himself up to authorities in the UAE on 30 December.
In a statement he thanked supporters and said: “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my fight. It’s been a long fight, but nothing is hard with my lord and saviour Jesus Christ guiding me. I’m grateful for all the people who helped by donating to me and my family of faith for supporting me.”
It is hoped that Fakana may be pardoned by the Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
His family and supporters have called for the foreign secretary, David Lammy, to intervene.
A fundraiser set up to support the legal costs of Fakana and his family has passed £50,000.
Radha Stirling, from the charity Detained in Dubai, previously told the BBC that Fakana’s sentence was “unfathomable”. She said: “It does not warrant a year in jail, doesn’t warrant tearing this family apart and ruining this young 18-year-old’s life.
“I’m confident that, on appeal, the custodial sentence will be overturned and he will be allowed to return home. The question is, how long is that going to take and how much effort is that going to take, whether that’s British intervention or the public support in telling Dubai this is unacceptable?”
