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Brit trapped in Dubai jail after touching another man in bar to avoid spill


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Brit trapped in hellhole Dubai jail after 'touching another man in bar to avoid spilling his drink'

Jamie Harron has spent five days sharing a cell with eight other men as he awaits trial and 'could face torture' if he is jailed for public indecency

ByEllie Forbes,
19:41, 6 OCT 2017

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.

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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.

"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."

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Jamie was held in the notorious Al Barsha prison, where he claims he was not allowed to wash himself or brush his teeth.

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.

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."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/brit-trapped-hellhole-dubai-jail-11301023

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Dubai treats tourists like shit. You can be arrested for the most trivial stuff.  Why the fuck would anyone holiday there?

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How awful!

A gay couple I worked with in London moved to Dubai a couple of years ago, I don't understand it, I'd be on edge the whole time if that were me.

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3 hours ago, nightcutter said:

Dubai treats tourists like shit. You can be arrested for the most trivial stuff.  Why the fuck would anyone holiday there?

IKR. With all the fantastic places to go for a vacation, why go to this shit hole where human rights are not respected?:wacko:

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Poor guy. Hope he gets to return to some sense of normality without any further punishments.

I don't understand all the hype a lot of people make about Dubai. It's a backwards SHIT HOLE from what I've seen and heard. And don't even get me started on some of the gays who flock there...why on earth anyone would give their gay pounds/dollars through tourism to a culture that despises them makes no sense to me. I'd much sooner take my tourist trade to a place that's LGBT-friendly and deserves the investment.

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22 hours ago, Elysium said:

Poor guy. Hope he gets to return to some sense of normality without any further punishments.

I don't understand all the hype a lot of people make about Dubai. It's a backwards SHIT HOLE from what I've seen and heard. And don't even get me started on some of the gays who flock there...why on earth anyone would give their gay pounds/dollars through tourism to a culture that despises them makes no sense to me. I'd much sooner take my tourist trade to a place that's LGBT-friendly and deserves the investment.

I totally agree with this. 

I'll spend my hard earned money only in a place I know my rights are respected. And if it means there's a lot of place I'll never see, well I don't mind. I'll keep my pink $ for me. 

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22 hours ago, Elysium said:

Poor guy. Hope he gets to return to some sense of normality without any further punishments.

I don't understand all the hype a lot of people make about Dubai. It's a backwards SHIT HOLE from what I've seen and heard. And don't even get me started on some of the gays who flock there...why on earth anyone would give their gay pounds/dollars through tourism to a culture that despises them makes no sense to me. I'd much sooner take my tourist trade to a place that's LGBT-friendly and deserves the investment.

But it has shiny buildings and shopping malls. And a machine that spits out gold :lmao:

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I remember a thread from years ago and I remember I got into hot water because I did not appreciate the great architecture in Dubai. I was heavily criticized for mentioning that "great" is always in the eye of the beholder and that people should not forget who is building those structures and under which circumstances they have to work and live. Of course this is not limited to Dubai. It applies to the whole region.

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2 hours ago, Raider of the lost Ark said:

I remember a thread from years ago and I remember I got into hot water because I did not appreciate the great architecture in Dubai. I was heavily criticized for mentioning that "great" is always in the eye of the beholder and that people should not forget who is building those structures and under which circumstances they have to work and live. Of course this is not limited to Dubai. It applies to the whole region.

I always felt Dubai is tacky as hell. And terribly fake. Don't understand the appeal.

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This is any tourist worst nightmare! 

I also perceive that there's something else going on than what this article is telling. 

I agree that I don't find Dubai appealing at all, what the hell are you going to do, see, experience if you don't have a million dollars to go shopping??? 

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18 hours ago, runa said:

I totally agree with this. 

I'll spend my hard earned money only in a place I know my rights are respected. And if it means there's a lot of place I'll never see, well I don't mind. I'll keep my pink $ for me. 

You are wise!

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18 hours ago, ULIZOS said:

But it has shiny buildings and shopping malls. And a machine that spits out gold :lmao:

I know right?!:laugh:

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A work colleague just posted on FB that he's on his way to Dubai for his "holibobs", in the picture he's drinking beer with his girlfriend, how I wanted to comment saying "it's illegal to have alcohol in your system in that country, be careful!!", but he'd just think I'm a dick.

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15 hours ago, Pedro said:

This is any tourist worst nightmare! 

I also perceive that there's something else going on than what this article is telling. 

I agree that I don't find Dubai appealing at all, what the hell are you going to do, see, experience if you don't have a million dollars to go shopping??? 

You can go to the beach and thats pretty much it. And you have to go there in the winter time, cause its unbearably hot in the summer/early autumn/late spring. There is almost no history there, nothing. The old market is from the 60ties-70ties. I mean its ridiculous. The history museum consists of like 4 rooms. There are only modern buildings that I had zero interest to see. The malls are like the malls everywhere in the world. Its a dull and snobby place with zero substance. But then again I know a lot of airheads who love it so I guess it has its lovers...

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1 hour ago, elijah said:

You can go to the beach and thats pretty much it. And you have to go there in the winter time, cause its unbearably hot in the summer/early autumn/late spring. There is almost no history there, nothing. The old market is from the 60ties-70ties. I mean its ridiculous. The history museum consists of like 4 rooms. There are only modern buildings that I had zero interest to see. The malls are like the malls everywhere in the world. Its a dull and snobby place with zero substance. But then again I know a lot of airheads who love it so I guess it has its lovers...

:yes:

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3 hours ago, tasteinmen said:

A work colleague just posted on FB that he's on his way to Dubai for his "holibobs", in the picture he's drinking beer with his girlfriend, how I wanted to comment saying "it's illegal to have alcohol in your system in that country, be careful!!", but he'd just think I'm a dick.

It is not forbidden for foreigners to drink alcohol, but only in restricted and licenced area and never outside. 

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13 hours ago, runa said:

It is not forbidden for foreigners to drink alcohol, but only in restricted and licenced area and never outside. 

I thought it was illegal to have alcohol in your system in public areas? A work colleague of mine was arrested for leaving her apartment with alcohol in her system, she was warned by the police if she left her apartment after drinking she will be arrested, she then left her apartment to catch a flight and was arrested.

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3 hours ago, tasteinmen said:
17 hours ago, runa said:

It is not forbidden for foreigners to drink alcohol, but only in restricted and licenced area and never outside. 

I thought it was illegal to have alcohol in your system in public areas? A work colleague of mine was arrested for leaving her apartment with alcohol in her system, she was warned by the police if she left her apartment after drinking she will be arrested, she then left her apartment to catch a flight and was arrested.

Dubai is officially on my no-fly list permanently.

FUCKING BACKWARD country.

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Well that's the paradox innit. Dubai is promoted as a holiday destination to go and get pissed and lie on the beach (there's nothing else to do in such a soulless man-made shithole afterall) yet it basically follows Sharia Law with a few exceptions for tourists. You won't get told that though because it (like this thread) will put people off. So, always do your homework about the place you're considering going to.

It's no surprise that every Emirates flight is chock full of stupid Essex-man, gold-watch-wearing tossers and their orange fake-titted girlfriends posting on Instagram about their fab holiday in Dubai. Tack-o-Rama.

And I don't find anything fishy about this story at all. It happens all the time. 

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22 hours ago, Kim said:

It's no surprise that every Emirates flight is chock full of stupid Essex-man, gold-watch-wearing tossers and their orange fake-titted girlfriends posting on Instagram about their fab holiday in Dubai. Tack-o-Rama.

 

Can we send all the people from the Geordie Shore and Ex on the beach to Dubai and have them arrested?

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On 8-10-2017 at 5:36 PM, ULIZOS said:

But it has shiny buildings and shopping malls. And a machine that spits out gold :lmao:

Really, why do people go to these artificial asshole places. Just no.

DON'T SUPPORT ASSHOLES.

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