American woman on Trial for ‘Insulting UAE’

An American woman is on trial at the Federal Supreme Court for "insulting the UAE in public at Abu Dhabi Airport," UAE government-run news agency the National said.

The 25-year-old woman told the court that she was just waiting for a taxi when two men approached her did not like the way she spoke to them.

The woman told the judge that she did not know why she was on trial and that nothing happened.

“The men tried to help me. I had another flight to catch at 1.29am. I refused to engage with them and nothing happened," she said.

The matter is being treated as a misdemeanor so a lawyer was not required.

The woman said that she has been in jail since February 23 and asked the judge if she could just pay a fine to get out of jail.

A verdict is scheduled for May 2.