Man talks about being imprisoned overseas for taking a picture

ATHENS, Ga. — Dr. Robert Alan Black is now settling back into life at his Athens home after a year he will not soon forget.
 
Black, who is an avid photographer, traveled to the United Arab Emirates in October for a conference.
 
He says while in Abu Dhabi he took a picture of a sign that read "photographs forbidden."
 
"I pretty much understood don't photograph the building. I had no intention of photographing the building," Black said. "I didn't take that as a serious threat. It was."
 
Black said he was immediately arrested -- he was shackled and a black bag was put over his head at one point as guards transferred him to another prison.
 
"The same questions over and over again. I took a photograph of a sign that had 'forbidden' on it," Black said.
 
The case garnered international attention and the U.S. Embassy became instrumental in helping fight for Black's release.
 
In November, after spending about three weeks in the prison outside of Abu Dhabi, Black said one morning he was ushered into a van and taken to a courtroom for his trial.
 
Black said he'd met his attorney the morning before his trial.
 
"He made Matlock and every TV movie lawyer look like a hack. He was so dramatic, so forceful," Black said. "I had no idea what he was saying."
 
"I'm standing there (thinking) there is no way I'm going to win as he was doing this, then I saw the judge smile," Black said.
 
Black was found not guilty with no intent to do harm. He said it was the other prisoners and the compassion they exhibited toward him that helped him make it through his imprisonment.
 
He said he met one Egyptian prisoner who was incarcerated for taking a selfie in front of the American Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
 
"One of the greatest things of my four weeks were my angels, the other prisoners," Black said.