
Gulf States investing heavily in influence
At a time when the UAE refuses to take calls from US President Joe Biden, hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin, and cuts oil production during a worldwide energy crisis; many observers wonder whether the Emirates is a friend or foe of the West. All the while, the ambiguous Gulf ally has been stealthily buying influence in Washington and currying bipartisan favour strategically, to keep US policy friendly despite the UAE’s unmistakable lack of reciprocity. Radha Stirling, CE

DOJ persecutes crypto entrepreneurs for cash & currency domination
Christopher Emms was indicted in the US on allegations he had violated American sanctions (IEEPA) when attending a conference in North Korea, despite being a British citizen and having broken no UK or international laws. His spokesperson and crisis manager, Radha Stirling, criticised the move as an abusive expansion of universal jurisdiction to prosecute cryptocurrency professionals for ulterior motives. Chris was arrested in Saudi after the US activated an Interpol Red Notic

“My Iraq Prison Hell” - Brian Glendinning talks to Radha Stirling
After two months of prison hell, Brian opens up and he's angry at Qatar's "disgusting" World Cup. Scottish construction engineer, Brian Glendinning was jailed in Iraq over a Qatar National Bank issued Interpol Red Notice for a small debt. After substantial diplomatic, media and strategic efforts of crisis manager Radha Stirling, Brian returned home to Scotland on Saturday. “It brought a tear to my eye as I heard Brian’s worst moment in prison”, said extradition expert Radha S

Stirling hails progress in detention of American over Egypt criticism
Urgent diplomatic intervention required. American citizen Sherif Osman, who was arrested in Dubai earlier this month and faces extradition to Egypt over criticisms he posted on social media against the regime of President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, cannot be deported on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice, Radha Stirling confirmed today. Stirling is the founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai and IPEX, an organisation dedicated to Interpol and extradition reform, and recently became i

Qatar threatens potential withdrawal of investment from UK
“If there was ever any doubt that Gulf investors in Europe view their capital as ‘hush money’, this should make it clear,” says Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Doha and Due Process International regarding Qatar’s announcement that all current and future investment in the UK will be under review following a ban on tourism advertising on the London Underground. Transport for London (TfL) recently rejected allowing ads promoting Qatar as a tourist destination that were to app

Talk TV: Radha Stirling & Daisy McAndrew talk Qatar World Cup and human rights issues
When Qatar insisted on hosting the World Cup, people's love of soccer again surpassed their disapproval of dictators, corruption, and human rights abusesWhen Qatar insisted on hosting the World Cup, people's love of soccer again surpassed their disapproval of dictators, corruption, and human rights abuses. Sports has proven to be a vehicle for soft power, and the Gulf is deploying that power vigorously. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund recently purchased Newcastle United

FCDO must increase UAE travel warnings after Brown inquest
The inquest into the death of British citizen Lee Bradley Brown, who died in a Dubai police station 11 years ago, heard that the number of new cases of Britons reporting torture or mistreatment in Dubai to the Foreign Office had surged from 3 per cent of the global total to 13 per cent in just four years. “This is something we have repeatedly raised with the FCDO,” says Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, “We are really talking about a cris

American faces torture if extradited to Egypt for criticising regime
US citizen arrested in Dubai after exercising legal free speech in America American citizen and former army captain, Sherif Osman, has been detained in the UAE and faces extradition to Egypt over social media content he posted from his home in Westfield Massachusetts critical of Egyptian strongman Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi. Osman, 46, who is originally from Egypt, has lived in the United States for 16 years, spending most of this time in Texas where he graduated from the University

Qatar Airways abuse exposed.
With the looming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the myriad nefarious controversies, allegations of corruption and skulduggery surrounding its “winning” hosting the event, we shall be examining a catalogue of inescapable ugly truths that envelope this country, its romanticised and delusional image portrayed to a susceptible public, body of corporations, financiers, public figures, governments and ultimately FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). Primarily,

Sportwashing: Sports as a vehicle for soft power by Radha Stirling for the Times of Israel
When Qatar insisted on hosting the World Cup, people's love of soccer again surpassed their disapproval of dictators, corruption, and human rights abuses Three years ago the UAE and Saudi Arabia, along with a few of their allies, were boycotting Qatar over Doha’s alleged ties to financing terrorism, and its friendly relationship with Iran. At that time, the Emiratis and the Saudis suggested that the boycott could potentially be lifted if Qatar forfeited hosting the World Cup