DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Friends and family say a transgender Singaporean and her friend have been sentenced to a year in prison in the capital of the United Arab Emirates for dressing in a feminine way.
Nur Qistina Fitriah Ibrahim, a transgender woman who has not undergone a sex-change operation, and her friend, freelance fashion photographer Muhammad Fadli Bin Abdul Rahman, were arrested in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 9.
Friends and an advocacy group called Detained in Dubai say police stopped the two at Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall as they tried to eat at a food court.
Abu Dhabi police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The two's arrest and quick sentencing show the danger that the LGBT community can face in the Mideast nation, home to Dubai's famous nightclub scene.
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