British man in Dubai jailed for touching man’s hips

A 27-year-old British man from Scotland was found guilty of touching a male stranger’s hips in a bar in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, British media outlets reported Sunday.

A Dubai court sentenced Jamie Harron to three months in jail Saturday.

According to human rights group Detained in Dubai, Harron was angry and disappointed at the outcome of the case.

Police arrested Harron on July 15 when a call came in from a local man reporting the alleged harassment.

Harron argued that the bar was overly crowded that night and he had touched the man’s hip accidently in an attempt to avoid spilling his drink.

The suspect was arrested on the scene. He was detained for five days prior to his release on bail.

The Dubai court had originally ordered Harron serve 1 month in prison. But due to his failure to appear in court and drinking alcohol at the time of the incident, the judge found him guilty of public indecency, extending his sentence to three months.

Harron is an electrical engineer based in Afghanistan and was on a two-day stopover in Dubai.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)