Sophie McNeill reported this story on Monday, July 13, 2015 18:30:00

MARK COLVIN: A 39-year-old Australian woman has been arrested and jailed in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates after she was found guilty of "writing bad words on social media".



West Australian Jodi Magi remains in jail and it's not known how long she will be held for.



Middle East correspondent Sophie McNeill reports.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: In February, 39-year-old Jodi Magi took a photo of a car in her apartment block in Abu Dhabi that was parked across two disabled parking spaces without any disability stickers.



She blanked out the number plate and put it on Facebook, drawing attention to the seemingly selfish act, but not providing any identifying details or names.



However someone complained to police, and the case went to an Abu Dhabi court in June.



Ms Magi was forced to sign multiple documents in Arabic without any translation, and two weeks ago she was found guilty of "writing bad words on social media about a person" and told she would be deported.



The ABC spoke to Jodi Magi on Skype before she was arrested.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: What's your understanding of what you did wrong?



JODI MAGI: I have zero idea. I used the internet.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: Last week Ms Magi tried to voluntarily deport herself and pay the approximately $3,600 fine, but the Abu Dhabi authorities wouldn't allow her to leave without presenting herself to court.



Jodi Magi had been warned this could mean she would end up in jail, despite this not being part of her sentence.



JODI MAGI: I'm putting my life in the hands of chaos. I'm terrified.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: Yesterday, as Ms Magi suspected, when she went to go pay the fine, she was arrested and incarcerated.



The ABC spoke to her from the back of her police vehicle.



JODI MAGI: No one's talking to me. No one's telling me what's going on.



I've been driving around for literally about four hours.



And they were about to put me in male lockup and then they turned me away and no one knows what to do with me.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: How are you feeling?



JODI MAGI: I'm pretty scared.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: Jodi Magi spent last night in jail, and it is not known how long she will be held for.



She says the Australian embassy in Abu Dhabi has not provided any help or advice apart from recommending she get a lawyer.



JODI MAGI: I'm not sure if it was me being naïve, like I was under the impression that embassies were in countries to help their citizens in times of difficulty, but from my experience it seems that their job here - I'll only speak from my experience in Abu Dhabi - seems to be to generate business and they've got no interest in anything other than that.



SOPHIE MCNEILL: The ABC asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Australian Government was going to make any representations to the UAE government about Ms Magi's imprisonment.



In a statement they said, "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.



This is Sophie McNeill reporting for PM.