Marcus Fakana, a British teenager imprisoned for seven months in Dubai for getting intimate and having consensual sex with a 17-year-old girl, has been released after getting a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Mr Fakana, a UK tourist from Tottenham, was on vacation with his family in Dubai when he met the female teenager who was also based in the UK and was also holidaying in the Gulf state. Their families lodged at the same luxury hotel in August 2024.

At the time, Mr Fakana was 18 while the girl was only 17 years and 11 months old. She was going to clock 18 the following month and attain the age of consent for sex.

Both teenagers explored a sexual relationship, one that turned sour after the girl’s mother discovered some of their texts when she returned to the UK. She reported Mr Fakana— who was still in Dubai— to the authorities and he was immediately arrested given the conservative city does not tolerate sexual activities on minors.

Mr Fakana, meant to stay in al-Awir prison for one year, languished in detention for seven months until the Sheikh intervened and gave him a royal pardon.

Human rights advocacy group, Detained in Dubai, was instrumental to his release as CEO, Radha Stirling, said Mr Fakana “is currently recovering” asserting that “his case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.”

Ms Stirling berated Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government for not taking any action to secure Mr Fakana’s release.

“The Labour government should be ashamed they have not secured the freedom of a teenage tourist. It wasn’t a difficult job,” Ms Stirling stated.