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Women beat cabbie in Dubai, 9 held

Dubai - 3 arrested for photographing and circulating video.

The Dubai Police have arrested four Arab women who assaulted an African taxi driver, three Asian men who circulated the video of the assault, and two Arab men for getting involved in the brawl.
The police found the women were under the influence of alcohol when they beat the taxi driver at a gas station in Dubai.
Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, said the police have launched an investigation into the matter and found that the four women have criminal records.
He added that the police have also arrested the person who filmed the assault and two of his friends who circulated the video. He stressed that it is against the law to film or circulate such incidents.
He pointed out that people should respect such laws and not circulate photos, videos or news that disturb the law and order situation in the country.
Revealing the details, Al Mazeina said the incident took place early morning on Friday when the four women took a taxi from Deira and asked the driver to take them to different places. When they reached a gas station in Al Barsha, they asked the driver to wait for them as they went in to purchase snacks from the convenience store.
The women did not come out for a long time and the driver, losing patience, went into the store and asked them for his money so that he could leave. At that moment, one of the women assaulted him.
According to sources, the driver asked two Arab men to intervene and convince the women to give him his money. A brawl between the women and the two Arabs ensued, and at this point, the Asian man who was there filmed the video and circulated it on social media with the help of the two of his friends.
In the meantime, one of the women again attacked the taxi driver and hit him with her shoe.
The four women and the two men were arrested within four hours of the incident.
The police on Wednesday also arrested the Asian man for photographing the incident and his two friends for circulating the video.
The police found that one of the women's passport has been confiscated and she is being charged of assault cases in addition to financial crimes.
All suspects involved in the brawl were referred to the prosecutor on charges of mutual abuse and assault, while the men who circulated the photos was referred to the public prosecutor on charges of publishing material against the law.
The taxi company has also registered a complaint with the Dubai Police for defamation caused as a result of the circulation of the video.- amira@khaleejtimes.com