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UAE releases 2 men who took 'selfie' in front of hotel fire

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This image taken from AP video shows smoke and flames pouring from a residential building, which also contains the Address Downtown Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday evening, Dec. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
By No Author
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan 9:  The United Arab Emirates says it has released two young men it detained over their "selfie" in front of a New Year's Eve hotel fire.

The Emirates' state-run WAM news agency reported the news late Friday, citing Essam al-Humaidan, the attorney general of the city-state of Dubai. He says the two unidentified men were released after investigators found "no evidence of criminal intent."


The 63-story Address Downtown luxury hotel caught fire just before a fireworks display at the nearby Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. The hotel burned through the fireworks display and into the new year.

While liberal compared to much of the Middle East, the Emirates has a cybercrime law under which people can be arrested, imprisoned and deported for taking photographs without the consent of those shown.



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