Mother who called her ex’s new wife a horse is freed by judge in Dubai
‘The most awful month of my life’
A BRITISH mother who faced up to three years in a Dubai jail for calling her ex-husband’s new wife a horse was yesterday told she is free to return home.
Laleh Shahravesh, arrested on arrival last month, had faced jail and a £50,000 fine.
But despite finding her guilty under the country’s strict cybercrime laws yesterday, a judge said she was free to go and her passport should be returned once she had paid £600.
Miss Shahravesh’s lawyer Michel Chalhoub said she was preparing to get a flight out of the Emirates today. The single mother, 55, of Richmond, Surrey, had earlier collapsed outside court before being taken away in a wheelchair when told the case was adjourned for a week.
Miss Shahravesh had to be helped by local women as she sobbed on the steps and could be heard wailing, ‘I’m dying’. But just hours later, after learning she would be reunited with her daughter Paris, 14, in Britain within days, she was overjoyed and said she ‘cannot wait’ to get on a plane.
Miss Shahravesh said: ‘I am just so happy and relieved that this terrible ordeal is over. I just want to see Paris and give her a big hug. I have missed her so much and she has been so brave. I was distraught when told I had to stay. This has been the most awful month of my life.’
She was arrested when she travelled to Dubai so Paris could attend the funeral of her father, Pedro dos Santos, 51, who died while living in the Emirates with his new wife Samah al Hammadi.
Miss Shahravesh was held over an outstanding arrest warrant dating back to 2017 after Miss al Hammadi, 42, complained that she had been defaming her online in a barrage of ‘vicious abuse’. Miss Shahravesh admitted lashing out on Facebook and writing two comments – from the UK – in Farsi where she called her ex-husband an idiot and his new Tunisian wife ‘a horse’.
However, the Mail revealed this week that the Metropolitan Police had spoken to her about online abuse as long ago as 2015 after a complaint by her ex-husband.
Yesterday, Judge Mohamed Mustafa Ibrahim Khalil said Miss Shahravesh was guilty of a misdemeanour under Dubai’s cyber-crime laws.
Earlier, the judge was urged by Mr Chalhoub to resolve the case quickly. He also asked for a week’s extension to prepare the defence.
The judge initially said he would consider adjourning to next week but then issued a written judgment hours later. Miss al Hammadi, who was not in court, has the right to appeal against the decision. However, she welcomed the ruling and hoped Miss Shahravesh had ‘learnt her lesson’. She said: ‘This proves that she is guilty and I am right. I don’t care about the other things and about the money.’
Paris said last night: ‘This is the longest time I have not seen my mum and it’s been 30 days of hell. But hearing she is free and coming home is the best day of my life.’