FCDO failure in Albert Douglas case
Grandfather Albert Douglas has been held as an economic hostage in Dubai. He has been beaten, tortured and denied his medication, but the FCDO says “torture in itself is not grounds for a clemency application”. The UK claimed Albert was their “top diplomatic priority” but the frail grandfather who is currently living in prison with broken bones has seen no change in his situation. “Yes, Dubai medics have confirmed that he was beaten and that he suffers permanent disability as
Capital flight to UAE undermines human rights
Originally written for and published on The Times of Israel Blogs March 25th, 2022 Anyone concerned about human rights issues must inevitably be concerned about geopolitical issues as well. They must anticipate the repercussions of trends and events on the overall conditions in a society, or in a region, and how these conditions may lead to improvements or deteriorations in human rights protections. For nearly a decade and a half, I have been involved in human rights and just
FCDO Responsibilities: Are Conflicting Goals Diminishing Efficacy?
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with its 14,000 staff is tasked with promoting British interests abroad but the government department’s goals are often conflicting in nature, leaving diplomats in confusion over priorities, placing British citizens and interests across the board at risk. Divided diplomatic goals diminishes British influence abroad. by Radha Stirling, CEO of Due Process International & Detained in Dubai. In a BBC programme, Dr Edward Was
'Foreign Office Fails Brits Detained Abroad' Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe latest to criticise FCDO
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is the latest Brit to criticise Foreign Office for their incompetency and dwindling diplomatic influence in the Middle East. Her criticism comes after a stream of Brits complained about their arbitrary detention abroad. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s 6-year detention highlights Britain’s diminished diplomatic influence Ms Ratcliffe said she did not agree she should be thanking the foreign secretary for her return after a long six years of detention in I
‘Denmark Faces Human Rights Issues over UAE Extradition Treaty’ says Expert
Denmark has signed an extradition treaty with the UAE, primarily to seek hedge fund trader Sanjay Shah, who has been sheltering in Dubai. But the treaty “comes at a price”, says extradition defence and Interpol expert, Radha Stirling. “When a country sees a target they want to extradite, they can be all too keen to sign on the dotted line without any consideration of what this may mean for their own citizens”, explains Stirling, who founded the organisation IPEX Reform to fig
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s 6-year detention highlights Britain’s diminished diplomatic influence
“Britain’s diplomatic power is greatly diminished in the Middle East, either due to reduced prestige or lack of trying,” says Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, “The release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Iran after 6 years of brutal and inhuman detention is obviously a joyous event, but hardly a triumph of British diplomacy. The UK’s calls for her freedom were flatly ignored by the Iranian government since 2016, and her rel
Much of the world is ambivalent about the Ukraine war, and should be.
Originally published in The Times of Israel, by Radha Stirling, Expert Witness & Founder of Due Process International There has been a mostly muted response to the war in Ukraine across much of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East; and there’s a lot going on in the silence. Fifty-two nations either abstained or simply didn’t vote in the UN resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and their silence should be best interpreted, not as condonement of the invasion, nor
Disgraced Saudi Prince Convened Meeting of Billionaires Prior to His Arrest
Contractors stiffed by Saudi Prince for construction of venue for secret billionaires' meeting reveal potential plot to challenge MBS A new legal case by a group of contractors provides new potential insights into the events surrounding the detention of at least one of the 11 Saudi princes arrested shortly after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed power. In November 2017, several Saudi elites were corralled in the Riyadh Ritz Carlton hotel and placed under house arrest,
Steve Long Transferred to Al Wathba Prison Where Family Fears "He Will Die"
Steve Long, the British veteran and paramedic whose background working with bomb disposal units caused him to have a mental breakdown in Abu Dhabi airport last month, telling staff he believed there was a bomb on the plane, has been transferred from psychiatric hospital to prison. His family fear his mental state will worsen, “I’m afraid he will die in prison,” his sister Clare said yesterday. Steve Long was arrested in the UAE because he was afraid. Further details have emer
Steve Long was arrested in the UAE because he was afraid.
On January 28th, the 39-year-old from Stockport, Manchester told airport staff in Abu Dhabi, before he was to board a flight home, that he feared there would be a bomb on the plane. He wasn’t making a bad joke; he was in the grips of residual trauma resulting from years of work as a paramedic involved with bomb disposal units in the military and civilian sector; which caused an apparent episode of heightened fear and paranoia, especially because of the drone attacks that were
