A South African diving instructor who was jailed in Sharjah on charges of having sex outside marriage has been freed early.
Roxanne Hillier, 22, was released on Thursday after being pardoned by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, Ruler of Sharjah, the South African newspaper Beeld reported.
The news was confirmed on a web page set up by Ms Hillier's family to campaign for her freedom. Ms Hillier, who had been due for release next month, wrote on the page: "Well, I am free."
She was arrested on May 16 after police broke into the Khor Fakkan dive centre where she worked.
Ms Hillier was sleeping in an upstairs room at the facility, while her boss, an Emirati in his forties, was tending to dive equipment.
The police operation ended in a three-month jail sentence for Ms Hillier and a six-month sentence for MH, her employer.
They were charged with having sex and being alone in a commercial building after hours.
News of the case attracted the attention of the human rights lobby group Amnesty International, which pointed out that medical reports had failed to provide evidence that the pair had had sex.
MH was released in June, following a reduction of his sentence by an appeal court in Khor Fakkan. However, Ms Hillier's sentence was confirmed.
Her family set up a friends' support group on the social networking website Facebook and launched an online petition for her release.
They also appealed directly to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as well as to the South African president, Jacob Zuma.
Ms Hillier and her family were not available for comment yesterday. But over the weekend, Ms Hillier addressed the Facebook group's 2,600 members, telling them what it felt like to be free.
"Everything is fantastic - the grass seems greener, the skies more blue and every cushion a piece of heaven for me," she wrote.
"Possibly I will fly on Monday back to South Africa, but for now I am going to enjoy a sleep on a real bed with a mattress.
"No more concrete beds for me. Thank you all for your wonderful support and everyone who signed the petition.
"It has meant the world for me and made being inside a whole lot easier knowing I have got so many people behind me and supporting me and my family through our time of need."
Ms Hillier told of her first two dives after her detention. Her mission to see elusive sea horses was unsuccessful.
"They are meant to torment me but, on the bright side, I saw a big turtle and I will try again tomorrow," she wrote.
More than 600 messages of support were published on the online forum following the news of Ms Hillier's release.
One supporter from the UAE wrote: "Prayers have been answered. We are so happy for you Roxanne, and your family. Wishing you the best of luck and good fortune ahead."
Another message read: "Hey Rox, what an experience and ordeal you have been through.
"Glad you are free. Write it all down to experience. Nobody ever said life would be fair."
A South African supporter wrote: "Thank goodness everything went well. All the time I kept on thinking 'what if it was my daughter?'
"I am truly glad that I was part of the petition process. Enjoy your freedom and cherish every moment. Stay safe."
Ms Hillier's 20-year-old sister, Maxine, who had been working for a dive centre at the Beach Rotana hotel in Abu Dhabi, left the country earlier this month.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
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81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
