UK and US courts asked to rule on UAE torture of lawyer

British and American courts have been asked to rule on the treatment of two men held in the UAE as pawns by an ambitious ruler who has, last month, used “forced confessions obtained by torture”, in ‘quid pro quo’ attempts to seize funds that don’t belong to him.

Dechert lawyers have been sued by two lawyers for human rights violations, forced confessions and torture. Last week, it was revealed that these “confessions” obtained by force, have now been submitted as “evidence” to seize money from a Swiss national through the Bangladesh courts where he has business interests.

Dr Khater Massaad, former advisor to the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, is another target for the tiny northern emirate. The oil-dry emirate needs to make money elsewhere, through enterprise, manufacturing, corruption, extortion and theft of foreign investment. The dangerous “wild west of the UAE” extorts and steals funds under threat of imprisonment or worse. “When a target is outside of the country, more creativity is needed”, explains Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, who is representing a number of victims of the regime.