British Woman Gets Six Months for Slapping Immigration Official

A British woman is currently in jail in Indonesia after slapping an immigration official who told her she had to pay a fine as she tried to leave Bali; she claims she’s been tortured but evidence doesn’t show anything like that—she’s now facing up to six months in jail for what she did at the airport.

A British woman who overstayed her visa in Bali is now facing jail time after an altercation at the airport. Auj-e Taqaddas, 42, overstayed her visa limit in Bali by about 160 days. When she was at the airport to fly back out of the country, she was asked to pay a fee because her visa was overdue.

The immigration officer at Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali told Taqaddas she had to pay a fine of about $3,500 for going past her visa date, the BBC reported. In response, Taqaddas began to shout and swear at the officer. It culminated in her slapping him across the face and trying to grab back her passport, which another traveler caught on their cell phone.

Taqqadas was arrested and jailed after being found guilty of violence against an officer. She faces a potential six months in prison.

Taqqadas says the sentence is unfair, and claims she has been tortured and forced to stay in the country against her will. The prosecutors, though, say that has not been the case, and no violence has been used against her. She missed several court dates and was forcibly brought to court. She has since filed an appeal.

[Image: Wikimedia/っ]