A British man is facing three years in a Dubai jail after he put his hand on a man’s hip to avoid spilling a drink, according to a campaign group fighting against the charge.
Jamie Harron was arrested for public indecency and jailed in the “notorious” Al Barsha prison for five days following the incident in a bar in July, NGO Detained In Dubai said.
The 27-year-old is said to have been walking through a bar with a friend when he placed his hand on the right side of a man’s hip to ensure “they didn’t bump and spill drinks”.
Police were later called, with Harron told he was being held for drinking alcohol and public indecency.
The electrician, who is originally from Stirling but who had been working in Afghanistan, was released from Al Barsha after five days when his friend paid his bail.
Detained In Dubai claim that police have since confiscated Harron’s passport, leaving him trapped in the country for the last three months.
Meanwhile, he is said to have spent more than £30,000 in legal fees and expenses and has reportedly lost his job.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained In Dubai, said: “Jamie has been advised by his lawyer that he is at high risk of being jailed for a duration of up to three years.
“It is quite outrageous that he has been held in the country for so long already. This is another example of how vulnerable tourists are to arrest and detention in Dubai and at how drawn out and disorganised legal proceedings are.”
Stirling added: “I have spoken to Jamie today who is under immense pressure and stress. He was expecting to appear in court this Sunday but the court moved the date without telling him or his lawyer.
“This led to a sentence of 30 days imprisonment for failing to present himself at the hearing”.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: “We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance.”