Briton’s Dubai prison threat – for touching a man’s hip
A BRITISH man is facing three years in a Dubai jail for touching a man’s hip as he tried to avoid spilling his drink in a crowded bar.
Jamie Harron, 27, said a ‘cultural misunderstanding’ had left him stranded in the United Arab Emirates since July – jobless and in debt after spending more than £32,000 in expenses and legal fees.
The electrician, from Stirling, was in Dubai on a two-day stopover as he headed back to work in Afghanistan. He is being held on charges of drinking alcohol and public indecency and his family are growing increasingly worried after he was released on bail but had his passport seized.
Mr Harron’s ordeal began when he had a drink with friends at the Rock Bottom Bar – a popular venue in Dubai’s Tecom area – and put his hand on a man’s hip to ensure they did not bump and spill drinks.
Police arrested Mr Harron, who says he was jailed with no idea of the offence. A prosecutor later told him it was ‘public indecency’.
Mr Harron said: ‘I am really stunned that it has gone this far.’ Since the arrest, he has been sacked and is relying on friends’ charity for accommodation. The Foreign Office said: ‘We are providing consular assistance.’