Although its intention to set up tourist court, UAE jails foreign couple for 'sex outside marriage'

A couple were reportedly detained in UAE after a doctor discovered that the woman was pregnant but she could not provide a marriage certificate, the New Arab revealed.

Emlyn Culverwell‚ 29, and Iryna Nohai, 27, were arrested in January for sex outside marriage, which is prohibited in the UAE. News of their detention surfaced earlier this week.

Culverwell's mother, from South Africa, has pleaded for the couple's release, saying "the only thing they did wrong was fall in love".

She said her son - who had been working in the UAE for five years - and his Ukrainian fiancee have not yet been charged and are still being investigated.

The news of their detention came few weeks after the UAE authorities declared intention to set up a special court to deal with offences committed by tourists as part of its efforts to promote itself as a holiday destination.