A Norwegian woman at the center of a Dubai rape claim dispute says she has been pardoned and is free to leave the country.
Marte Deborah Dalelv said she was given back her passport Sunday by the public prosecutor’s office and that her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage has been dropped.
The 24-year-old designer claimed she was raped in March by a co-worker, but she was charged with the sex offense after going to police in Dubai in a case that highlighted the clash between the city’s Western-friendly atmosphere and its Islamic-based legal codes.
Relief: Marte Deborah Dalelv said she was given back her passport Sunday by the public prosecutor’s office and that her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage has been dropped
At the center she posed up for a picture (left) in front of portrait of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, late ruler of Dubai before leaving with her lawyer, right
Her sentencing last week stirred outrage in the West.