The Australian woman jailed in Abu Dhabi for “writing bad words on social media” is safe after being deported.
Jodi Magi, 39, posted a photo to Facebook of a car parked across two disabled parking spaces outside her apartment in Abu Dhabi.
She blanked out the licence number but a complaint landed Ms Magi in an Abu Dhabi court, where she was found guilty of “writing bad words on social media about a person” and told she would be deported.
She was fined for the offence, and when she went to pay local authorities she was arrested and jailed.
But overnight – much to the relief of her family and friends – Ms Magi posted on Facebook she was safe.
“After 53 hours in custody, having been shackled at the ankles, strip-searched, blood tested, forced to sleep on a concrete floor without a mattress or pillow and having no access to toilet paper or eating utensils, I can happily say I AM SAFE & OUT OF JAIL AND ABU DHABI!” she wrote.
“Obviously, I think a $3600 fine and deportation with a complimentary incarceration period was an extreme reaction to a jpg of a car when I did not swear or mention a single name and blocked the registration plate,” she wrote.
“Even though I am pretty traumatised by my own experience, what has affected me more are the many, many stories told to me by my fellow inmates at both the jails I ‘visited’. I will be forever heartbroken by the treatment of these inspiring and courageous women from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Russia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Syria etc at the hands of the U.A.E. ‘Justice System’.
“If you think what happened to me was insane, spend a couple of days in an Abu Dhabi jail; I have nothing to complain about compared to the vast majority of women I met whose only crime was being poor, marrying the wrong guy, getting pregnant outside of marriage or/and being victims of rampant and systemic police corruption where ‘evidence’, ‘ethics’ and ‘due process’ are unheard of concepts.”
Ms Magi, a graphic designer, had been living in the U.A.E since 2012.
She wrote she was overwhelmed by the kindness of other inmates she met during her hours in lock-up.
“Among numerous acts of kindness to me, these ladies welcomed me to The Big House with “We are your family now”, gave me a spoon to eat with, found me a blanket and a book to read and even sent me on my way to freedom with snacks in case I got hungry at the airport,” she wrote.
“I will do what I can to contact some of their families and let them know how/where they are, but I still feel incredibly guilty leaving them in there when I am typing this from the luxury of an airport restaurant.”
“I know 1000 per cent after hearing their stories that I would never have been released in such a speedy fashion without a) my Australian nationality, b) the media coverage (surreal), c) the belated efforts of the embassy and d) all of the support from my friends as well as people I have never even met.
“I am sending out a massive Thank You to all of you for your good wishes and practical efforts to help, and huge love to my hero for rising so beautifully to the occasion.
“Peace, Jodi.”
