British man faces six months in Dubai jail for showing Iraqi the middle finger

Local authorities detained Simon Andrews, 56, on charges of public indecency after receiving a complaint from an Iraqi aviation student.

Mr Andrews was claimed to have made the rude gesture at 18-year-old Mahmud Rasheed during a heated argument between the two men.

Mr Rasheed filed a complaint with the police who arrested Mr Andrews for outraging public decency last August. 

"Mr Andrews says the offensive gesture never happened. The Iraqi has never appeared in court to testify against him and there are no witnesses," a source at the court said.

"Mr Andrews has told the court there is no evidence he did anything wrong and that it is Mr Rasheed's word against his.

"He has been banned from leaving the country and has been warned he could be jailed then deported."

During the eight months after his detention, Mr Andrews appeared in court only once, when he maintained his innocence. Mr Rasheed failed to attend, so the trial was adjourned until April 4.