Brit trapped in hellhole Dubai jail after 'touching another man in bar to avoid spilling his drink'
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A British man is trapped in a hellhole Dubai jail on a charge of 'public indecency' after he touched a man in a bar while trying to avoid bumping into him and spilling a drink.
Jamie Harron, 27, has spent five days sharing a cell with eight other men as he awaits trial and 'could face torture and human rights violations' if he is found guilty and handed a prison sentence.
Mr Harron has spent over £32,000 in expenses and legal fees trying to resolve the cultural misunderstanding and has been stripped of his passport.
He has been given a single mattress to sleep on in a notorious prison, and has been stuck in the country now for three months.
The electrician from Stirling, Scotland, is on bail awaiting trial - and lawyers claim he faces up to three years in prison if found guilty of drinking alcohol and public indecency.
Distraught Jamie said: "I am really stunned that it has gone this 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.
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"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."
Jamie was in Dubai on a two-day stopover while flying back to work in Afghanistan, in June.
He was with friends at the Rock Bottom Bar in Dubai - a popular venue for young people in the Tecom area of the city - when the incident unfolded.
Jamie and his friend had bought their first drink in the crowded bar when he placed his hand on the hip of man to ensure they didn't bump and spill their drinks.
The Brit claims he was simply crossing the dance floor to avoid confrontation.
Police arrested Jamie who claims he was initially jailed with no idea of the charge.
He said a prosecutor later told him that he had been charged with drinking alcohol and "public indecency."
Jamie was held in the notorious Al Barsha prison, where he claims he was not allowed to wash himself or brush his teeth.
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He said he was left in a "foul smelling" cell with another eight nationalities sleeping on the floor with "one revolting mattress between them all."
Jamie was bailed, but his passport was confiscated so that he could not leave the country.
Jamie was sacked from his job in Afghanistan and is now relying on charity from friends to support himself.
He was due to attend court on Sunday but claims the meeting was held in private without his lawyers being informed.
Jamie added: "Of course if I had known there was a change in the court date, I would have been there.
"I have been waiting for months to appear and now it looks as though I will be arrested when I go to the hearing.
"It is completely unfair and I can't understand how I can be sentenced for failing to appear when I was not even informed of the hearing."
Jamie denies public indecency - claiming his only intention was to avoid spilling a drink.
Tourists who consume alcohol at licensed venues in Dubai can still be arrested for having alcohol in their system.
(Image: SWNS.com)
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the British based NGO who is leading the campaign to help him, said: "Jamie is under immense pressure and stress.
"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.
"We have received a wave of new cases of British nationals detained in Dubai and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office need to increase travel warnings to citizens intending to visit or live in the country.
"If Jamie is sentenced to prison, he faces human rights violations and torture.
"The English High Court has ruled against extradition to the UAE based on the 'very real risk of unfair trials and torture' but the UK government has refused to increase warnings, largely due to their financial and diplomatic ties with the UAE."