'Sex on beach' couple free on bail in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Two Britons serving three-month prison terms for having sex on a public beach in Dubai have been released on bail pending their appeal, their lawyer said Tuesday.

Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vincent Acors, 34, were sentenced last week after a court found them guilty. Both denied they had intercourse and their lawyer, Hassan Mattar, said they planned to appeal.

Mattar said Tuesday the court accepted the appeal and will hold the first hearing November 18 in Dubai.

Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Police charged them with illicit relations, public indecency and public intoxication. Watch how case stirs up Dubai's bar scene »

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanors last Thursday found them guilty and ordered them jailed for three months, after which they would be deported. The court also fined the pair 1,000 dirhams ($367) for the charge of public indecency.

During the trial, Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges, though he said both tested positive for liquor.

The United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules.

More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office.

The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- the largest indoor snow park in the world.

CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report