Actress, tourist fail to settle Dubai brawl case

Dubai - The prosecution has also approved lifting the travel ban on the Egyptian actress.

An assault case that involves Egyptian actress Zeina brawling with an American tourist and his family in Dubai has been referred to the public prosecution for further investigations, Khaleej Times can reveal.
The move came after both parties failed to reach an agreement.
According to a document obtained by Khaleej Times, the prosecution has also approved lifting the travel ban on the Egyptian actress and her sister on July 12 following the case that was reported on June 29.
In an earlier statement, the actress refuted claims that she was banned from leaving the UAE, saying that she was staying of her "own free will" to follow up with her children's dentist. Zeina had also denied assaulting the American family.
In the statement she released on her official Facebook page, the actress said she was at a restaurant at Atlantis, the Palm when she noticed someone filming her.
"Although (filming someone without consent) is a crime in the UAE since it invades privacy, I requested the family respectfully to stop filming me, but I was surprised when they insulted my sister and me in a very exaggerated reaction," the actress said.
She added that she reported the matter to the police immediately and requested confiscation of the footage that recorded what had happened.
"The other party was actually detained an entire night for investigation and an order was issued to prohibit them from leaving the country until investigations were over," she said. "I have full trust in the justice and integrity of the authorities investigating the matter to make sure I get my full legal rights."
However, the 47-year-old American tourist reported that the actress assaulted his wife and 11-year-old daughter when she thought the girl was filming her without consent.
He told the police he had heard the actress screaming at his daughter in Arabic when they were at the restaurant. "I didn't know who she was, so I approached her to see what was going on and to also tell her that my daughter didn't speak Arabic."
He told her that his daughter was filming her young brother at the restaurant, not the actress. "I then told her it was inappropriate to yell like that in public, but she shifted to English and cursed us all," the tourist claimed.
The family then headed to the American consulate, which referred them to legal consultant Hassan Elhais from Al Rowad Advocates.
The lawyer advised the family to head to the Rashid Hospital for medical check-ups. The medical reports showed the family sustained bite marks, scratches and bruises.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai