Sheikh frees Briton jailed for touching man’s hip in Dubai
A BRITON jailed for three months in Dubai for touching another man’s hip walked free yesterday – after the Arab state’s ruler stepped in.
An order was made for the case against Jamie Harron, 27, to be dismissed.
He had been arrested and charged with public indecency in the United Arab Emirates in July.
Mr Harron, from Stirling, was said to have been carrying a drink, moving through a crowded bar and holding his hand in front of him to avoid spilling it on anyone else. He then “touched a man on his hip to avoid impact”.
He was jailed on Sunday but has had his passport returned after the intervention of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.
Radha Stirling, of campaign group Detained in Dubai, which has been supporting Mr Harron, said: “We send our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his intervention and for exonerating Jamie at long last.
“This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of the Sheikh.”
Mr Harron had been working as an electrician in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in the UAE when arrested.
After that, he lost his job and was told he could also face up to three years jail.
He had already been jailed in absentia for 30 days for failing to appear at a hearing for allegedly making a rude gesture and drinking alcohol in the “hip touch” incident.
He was initially jailed for five days, then freed on bail with his passport confiscated. He said yesterday: “The past few months have been full of worry for everyone.
“I am arranging flights back home now and can’t wait to see my family.
“No one should have to go through what I went through. It’s going to take me a while to recover.
“It is hard for my friends to imagine what was going through my head when I was told that I would be jailed for months.
“I am struggling to come to terms with being released.” Jamie Harron was in Dubai on a two-day stopover from his work in Afghanistan when he went to a bar and was arrested for touching a man’s hip