Eleanor Service | School and Local Editor
Scottish tourist Jamie Harron, from Stirling, was on holiday in Dubai when he accidentally touched a man’s hip in a crowded bar and was subsequently arrested for ‘public indecency’.
The Scot faced up to three months in jail in the UAE, after already being sentenced to a month’s jail time for ‘making a rude gesture’, and drinking beer without a permit.
It was only following the personal intervention of Sheikh Mohammed, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, that the 27-year-old electrician had his passport returned, and will soon be free to leave. This is according the now activist group Detained in Dubai (Dib).
Mr Harron has since lost his previous job in Afghanistan, which he was on a two day Dubai stopover from on July 15, when the incident occurred.
He has also been saddled with massive legal fees.
According to court documents, Harron was accused of sexual assault by another man, for touching his buttocks in July.
Mr Harron is said to have been holding a drink, weaving through the people in the crowded bar and holding out a hand to prevent spillage. Harron then defended himself by saying he “touched a man on his hip to avoid impact”. He has fully denied the charges against him.
The chief executive of the DiD, Radha Stirlin, said “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case. ” Then going on to say:
“This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohamed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the UAE’s leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future.”
Mr Harron has now returned home, and despite this incident, he has said he would still return to Dubai.
Full credit for this video goes ‘SWNS TV’.
