A 21-year-old New York City college student who was once lately sentenced to prison time in the United Arab Emirates over an altercation at a Dubai airport has been freed, an advocacy group stated.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, a student at Lehman College in the Bronx, have been sentenced to one year in prison after being accused of “assaulting and insulting” Dubai International Airport customs officers, in accordance to Detained in Dubai, an advocacy group that helps overseas nationals who’ve been detained and prosecuted in the United Arab Emirates.
Her sentence has since been commuted and he or she boarded a flight house to New York overdue Tuesday night time, the group stated.
“The 21 year old is ecstatic to be returning to the US after five months of anguish,” Detained in Dubai said in a remark.
Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos is observed in an undated photograph.
Detained in Dubai
De Los Santos have been detained in Dubai since July, in accordance to Detained in Dubai. She was once touring again to New York from a go back and forth to Istanbul with a pal when she had a 10-hour layover in Dubai on July 14, the group stated. While going thru safety, a safety officer requested the student, who lately had surgical procedure, to take away a scientific waist instructor swimsuit she wears round her waist, abdomen and higher chest, Detained in Dubai stated.
De Los Santos complied and again and again requested the feminine customs officials for assist to put the compressor again on to no avail, in accordance to Detained in Dubai. While calling out to her pal for assist, she “gently touched” the arm of one of the most feminine officials “to guide her out of the way” of the protection curtain, De Los Santos informed Detained in Dubai.
De Los Santos was once detained for touching the feminine customs workplace, signed forms in Arabic and was once allowed to depart the airport, in accordance to Detained in Dubai. Upon returning for her flight to the U.S., she was once informed she had a commute ban issued in opposition to her, the group stated.
On Aug. 24, judges ordered her to pay a high quality of 10,000 dirhams (about $2,700) however customs officers appealed the sentence, in accordance to Detained in Dubai. She was once sentenced to a year in prison, the advocacy group said on Monday.
“They either want her in jail or they want to pressure her into making a compensatory payment to them,” Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, claimed in a statement closing month. “The government of Dubai should stop this type of corruption by banning government employees from being able to accept out-of-court settlements for criminal complaints,” however does now not point out the danger of detention.
An airport get entry to educate departs the arrivals corridor in Terminal Three at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 23, 2020.
Christopher Pike/Bloomberg by the use of Getty Images
The State Department stated previous Tuesday they’re “aware of the sentencing” of De Los Santos.
“The department is in communication with her and her family and we’re going to continue to monitor her case and be involved,” State Department most important deputy spokesperson Verdant Patel stated at a press briefing Tuesday.
ABC News didn’t right away obtain a reaction from Dubai government in search of remark at the subject.
Prior to De Los Santos’ sentence being commuted, Detained in Dubai stated the appeals procedure may take months and known as for De Los Santos’ speedy free up. The group additionally steered the State Department to revise its commute warnings to “include the risk of false allegations and extortion scams.” Currently the State Department’s advisory warns Americans to “exercise increased caution in the United Arab Emirates due to the threat of missile or drone attacks and terrorism.”
De Los Santos’ mom contacted Detained in Dubai after finding out about Tierra Allen’s case, the group stated. The Texas resident was once charged in Dubai for allegedly verbally accosting a condominium automotive agent in April and was once issued a commute ban whilst waiting for trial, in accordance to Detained in Dubai. Her felony fees had been in the end dropped and the commute ban lifted, and he or she was once ready to go back to the U.S. in August, in accordance to Detained in Dubai.
ABC News’ Nasser Atta contributed to this record.
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