Aus woman jailed for FB post

Rose Donohoe
Jul 14, 2015, updated Jul 14, 2015

An Australian woman living in Abu Dhabi has been jailed for posting a photo which showed a car parked across two disabled parking spots.

Perth artist and teacher Jodi Magi was arrested for “writing bad words on social media”, after she posted the photo of the car, which did not have a disabled parking permit.

Ms Magi, who has lived in Abu Dhabi since 2012, said she “had zero idea” she was doing anything wrong, as she had blacked out the car’s numberplate before posting the photo.

A picture of Ms Magi at the Louvre in Paris. Photo: Facebook

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Ms Magi was found guilty two weeks ago and told she would be deported and be fined $3,600. However, after attempting to deport herself and pay the fine, Ms Magi was told she would first have to present herself at court. When she arrived at court she was detained and jailed.

“They were about to put me in the male lock-up and then they turned me away and no-one knows what to do with me,” she told ABC news last night.

“No-one is talking to me. No-one is telling me what is going on. I’ve been driving around for literally about four hours.”

Except for advising she get a lawyer, Ms Magi said she had received no help from the Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to provide consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Abu Dhabi and that for privacy reasons they cannot provide any more information.”

Ms Magi had been teaching graphic design and illustration at Zayed University for past three years, according to her LinkedIn profile.

In May, Ms Magi was featured on the Facebook page Savvy Woman Abu Dhabi, where she described enjoying teaching art to Emirati women.

Ms Magi posts examples of her artwork on her blog, covering themes of homelessness, human selfishness and environmental destruction.