#HomophobicMuch?!: British Man Jailed After Touching Another Man’s HIP in a Bar in Dubai

This one is a real “WTF!?” kinda story…

A man faces jail in Dubai after apparently touching another man in a bar. Jamie Harron, a British citizen, says he briefly touched the man to avoid spilling a drink on him.

Harron has been stuck in the United Arab Emitrates since July because his passport was confiscated by authorities when he was arrested. His lawyers say he held out his hand in front of him whilst walking through the busy bar to avoid spilling his drink.

That was when his legal team said he,

“touched a man on his hip to avoid impact.”

The man who he touched was then said to have become annoyed and around half an hour later, Harron was arrested by police but he was jailed not knowing why. After being in Al Barsha prison for five days, Harron was released on bail but he says being unable to leave the country has seen him forced to spend over $40,000 on legal fees and living expenses in the country.

Speaking to Sky News, the chief executive of Detained in Dubai, Radha Stirling, said,

“It is quite outrageous that he has been held in the country for so long already. TThis is another example of how vulnerable tourists are to arrest and detention in Dubai and at how drawn out and disorganised legal proceedings are.”

Since being arrested, he has been fired from his job in Afghanistan and says,

“I am really stunned that it has gone that far. I have witnesses who are willing to present themselves in court, even the bouncer at the bar.

I cannot believe I am facing these allegations when I followed the laws in their entirety. Now it is possible that I will be arrested on Sunday for failing to appear at a court hearing that neither I nor my lawyer, were advised of.”

His lawyer told told Sky News:

“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.”

Authorities can arrest you in Dubai if you even have alcohol in your system, even if you drink at a licenced bar.

Lesson learned: Don’t go to Dubai.

(Photos, Facebook; via Pink News)

The post #HomophobicMuch?!: British Man Jailed After Touching Another Man’s HIP in a Bar in Dubai appeared first on The WOW Report.