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British Romany Gypsy businessman Albert Douglas imprisoned and tortured in United Arab Emirates prison system Grandfather of five Albert Douglas is now sentenced to three years in prison in Dubai for a ‘bounced cheque’ he didn’t write ‘Gypsy Lives Matter!’ – hundreds of supporters, including Romany Gypsy businessman Alfie Best, rally in support outside Parliament Campaigners reach out to Tyson Fury for support UK Government Foreign Office pressured into prison visit NEW DEVELOPMENT - Dubai authorities now re-examining handwriting on cheque Albert says he didn’t write “I’ve never left anyone behind” – exclusive interview with human rights lawyer hero Radha Stirling who is spearheading campaign Travellers’ Times supports lobbying letter writing campaign to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab The campaign to bring Romany Gypsy and British citizen Albert Douglas home from a “hellhole” prison cell in Dubai is gathering pace after hundreds of supporters rallied outside Parliament last weekend. Businessman Albert Douglas, who is a grandfather of five, has been imprisoned for three years in Dubai after holding out against torture and refusing to confess to a crime he didn’t commit, say campaigners. Albert Douglas was arrested and all his assets seized after his son’s separate flooring business in Dubai failed. He was charged and imprisoned for three years following torture and deprivation of food, water and sleep. Albert Douglas, who supporters say is ‘the nicest gentleman you ever meet’, was also deprived of crucial medication for his heart condition. His son Wolfgang Douglas had to flee Dubai after he became enmeshed in their “corrupt” justice system where a single bouncing cheque is an automatic three-year prison sentence. Albert Douglas at first stayed behind and tried to defend himself, because he had committed no crime, he says, but then had to flee and was caught by the United Arab Emirates authorities at the border. Speaking to the Travellers’ Times, Wolfgang Douglas said the experience had opened his eyes to the “corrupt” legal system in Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates. “I was naïve,” says Wolfgang Douglas. “OK, I knew that Saudi Arabia was a dangerous place, but Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates has good PR and I fell for it and my dad was doing well there. Dubai touts itself as a good place to do business, and as a glamourous tourist destination, and also as a hub for big sporting events such as boxing and football; it says it is the Las Vegas of the Middle East. But it doesn’t have a legal system. It has no human rights. They don’t exist. And me and my father opened our businesses there in good faith.” Last weekend hundreds of campaigners rallied outside Parliament to demand that the UK Government act and bring Albert home. Prominent Romany Gypsy businessman Alfie Best was there and spoke at the rally. WATCH A VIDEO OF THE FREE ALBERT RALLY OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT Alfie Best called for the release of Albert, criticising the human rights violations and beatings, adding ‘Gypsy Lives Matter’. The campaign is also being supported by celebrities and influencers like Claire Sweeney, Henry Simmons & Daisy O’Donnell. Popular ‘Absolutely Ascot’ star Henry Simmons has also issued a call for Albert Douglas’s release from a Dubai jail. “Albert Douglas, has been wrongfully imprisoned in an unfair justice System, where he’s been beaten and subjected to countless human rights violations during his detention so far,” he said in a message to supporters. “He needs your help to get home. Please everyone can we get this father/ grandfather back home where he belongs”, Henry Simmons said. ...... “Media coverage and community support matters,” said Radha Stirling, who has represented or been involved in 15,000 cases of detention in Dubai. “Just one little message from Tyson Fury matters,” she said. “The community support in Albert Douglas’s case, plus media coverage, is important in bringing him home.” Read the full article at Travellers Times

Bring Albert Home from Dubai campaign gathers pace as Romany Gypsy supporters rally in London

British Romany Gypsy businessman Albert Douglas imprisoned and tortured in United Arab Emirates prison system Grandfather of five Albert...

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A massive diplomatic effort to free André from a life behind bars resulted in his ultimate exoneration of the charges against him. But was André’s nightmare experience a consequence of Western governments ignoring serious crime in the UAE? Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, who initiated the diplomatic efforts to bring André home, explains the underlying issues that contributed to his years-long ordeal. “When I spoke at the OffshoreAlert conference in Miami during the Gauthier case in 2019, an FBI agent asked an important question. ‘Why does the West ignore money laundering and corruption in the UAE?’ The US, Canada and the UK are fully aware of the extent of criminal operations in the UAE, of money laundering and of corruption. They’re aware of Iran sanction violations, of the UAE’s harbouring of wanted criminals and of extraterritorial abuses. “The answer is less important than discussing the consequences. As it was explained to me by British and American diplomats, the ‘UAE is our most important trade and security ally in the Middle East’. They pay significant amounts to lobby politicians and suppress violations. But this is at the expense of citizens like André Gauthier, a victim of our support for the UAE’s criminality. “In giving the green light to the UAE’s allowance of laundering, we are supporting a criminal underbelly that creates an ultimate security risk for the country. Laundering creates a risk where money can be used to fund terrorism and local militia in the region. It puts people’s lives at risk in the Gulf and increases the risk of attacks in the West. On the other end of the scale and like with the Gold AE scandal, individuals are defrauded and lose their life savings. People like André, who expose the frauds, are locked up to keep them silent. The whistle-blowers are scapegoated. They are disposable, and these are the real life consequences of the West’s allowance and acceptance of Dubai’s criminality. - André Gauthier HOME after Dubai jail nightmare “When we accept laundering, the bounds of what are acceptable are pushed every time. We have the UAE engaged in Iran violations, in human trafficking, in money laundering, mass-scale frauds, extortion of foreign nationals, repeated torture, attacks on our vessels in international waters, kidnapping of our citizens from outside of their jurisdiction and kidnappings within our own countries. We have technology crimes, hacking and the unlawful surveillance of our citizens. And the line keeps moving. Every time we ignore these unlawful acts, the boundary is pushed more. We saw what happened with Khashoggi. “A foreign national in the UAE can be locked up without evidence, forced to confess to crimes they didn’t commit, be beaten and tortured or even killed as with Lee Bradley Brown. We have dealt with hundreds of cases of foreigners who have been locked up by corrupt authorities and Sheikhs who need a foreigner to blame their crimes on. It’s impossible to defend one’s self in the legal system. It takes a diplomatic effort, as with André, to save an innocent person. This happens time and time again and it is indeed a by-product of our alliance. “Western nations need to reconsider their approach to diplomacy or this will continue to happen. Our own governments must be held to account for putting people’s lives at risk and those who accept lobbying money from the UAE to suppress serious criminal activity, must also be held to account. The consequences of their suppression are security risks, human rights violations, torture, unfair detentions, extraterritorial military actions against our own citizens, kidnappings, hacking and extortion. An alliance is not an agreement to allow such rogue criminality at the expense of our own citizens. “We are working with Canadian, US and UK law enforcement agencies, prominent politicians and investigative journalists to bring light to the Gold AE fraud and other serious crime”. Related resources: - ‘Fitch must review new Ras Al Khaimah evidence’, says UAE expert - Detained in Dubai reports UAE's Israel-US hacking agent to FBI - FCO talks to Grandfather beaten and forced to drink from toilet in Dubai jail

André Gauthier: Victim of the West turning a blind eye to Dubai money laundering

A massive diplomatic effort to free André from a life behind bars resulted in his ultimate exoneration of the charges against him. But...

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Press Release: André Gauthier returns to Canada after Dubai jail nightmare André Gauthier is finally reunited with his family after years-long ordeal that left him scapegoated by members of Gold AE. Gauthier arrived in Toronto on the 4th of May 2021 where he quarantined for three days before making the final trip home to Quebec. He made it home just in time for his wife’s birthday. “It seemed as though Gauthier’s nightmare would never end when he first contacted us”, said Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai who represents the Gauthiers. Stirling interviewed André on her Gulf in Justice Podcast over the weekend. “There were dozens of cases against him, some of which could not be appealed anymore. André had tried everything he could to resolve the cases legally, spending hundreds of thousand on lawyers, when he contacted us after a failed attempt to flee via the Omani border. “It was certainly a complicated case. It involved Ponzi schemes, money laundering and royals. The investors in Gold AE who were defrauded, were wrongfully told to take cases against André. This would provide enough distraction for the scamsters to leave the country. They ended up setting up new and similar scams in Canada, which we reported to authorities. “Once we reviewed the substantial evidence of André’s innocence, we released a video appeal from Andre himself to end his arbitrary detention and brought the case to the media. This injustice needed to be heard. The Canadian media was outraged by the legal abuse. With significant interest, Andre’s son, Alexis, recruited Richard Martel, MP who raised André’s case in Parliament on several occasions , and to the attention of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau who commented on the case. Martel is the Conservative deputy for Chicoutimi Fjord who worked relentlessly on André’s case, thanks to André’s brother for soliciting his help. Martel worked closely with the Canadian former foreign affairs minister, Francois Phillipe Champagne and his successor, Marc Garneau. A non-partisan effort was undertaken for the common goal to bring a Canadian citizen home, with former foreign minister Chrystia Freeland taking the initial steps. - Les proches d’André Gauthier espèrent toujours son retour de Dubaï “Detained in Dubai works with foreign governments on a regular basis. We advised the Minister on how they could help André home, working tirelessly with them to support the process. It’s a whole different system in the UAE and most personnel have limited experience in the region. Our expertise is welcomed by diplomats. “The fact of the matter is that André was instrumental in exposing the Gold AE scandal, and accepted the task of trying to recover the stolen funds for investors, but ended up being a scapegoat. It was absolutely outrageous, and we are grateful for the Canadian government’s responsiveness to our calls for intervention and for welcoming our input. While it was frustrating for everyone involved that the resolution took so long, the UAE finally acknowledged André’s innocence, and ultimately that is all that matters. We'd like to thank the Ministry of Interior and UAE diplomats for their responsiveness and willingness to address the injustice. We look forward to future cooperations that ultimately will make the Emirates a safer place for investors in the future. “Detained in Dubai and the Gauthier family would like to thank the members of the Canadian government whose support was instrumental in freeing André. Without diplomatic support, André would likely have died in prison. Canada has set an impressive example of how foreign governments can overcome significant adversity in the Middle East. Other countries should take note. With such a precedent setting diplomatic rescue, it will be difficult for another other foreign government to claim they ‘can’t get involved’. “André and his family are extremely brave and very patient. His son Alexis, never gave up hope. He spent every single day lobbying politicians, diplomats, lawyers, and dealing with the media. The whole family deserves a holiday. André is in good spirits, isolating, and looking forward to a family reunion. I had the pleasure of speaking with him on the Gulf in Justice Podcast over the weekend, and look forward to meeting him in person. “André Gauthier has made significant financial losses as a result of his wrongful detention and we will fully explore all avenues of retribution.” Advice on matters of this nature can be found at Gulf Investment Monitor , and from legal experts in this field, Detained in Dubai .

André Gauthier HOME after Dubai jail nightmare

Press Release: André Gauthier returns to Canada after Dubai jail nightmare André Gauthier is finally reunited with his family after...

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Press Release: FCO talks to grandfather beaten & forced to drink from toilet in Dubai jail 60 year old Albert Douglas testified to being beaten and forced to drink out of the toilet while watching prisoners being hung upside down and beaten. The contents of a disturbing telephone call has been released on the Gulf in Justice Podcast and shared with the FCO with a plea from Albert’s desperate family to end the abuse of British citizens in the UAE. “There is only one rule, there are no rules”, explained Albert Douglas, when discussing the notorious prison where numerous others have testified as to their abuse. - More at Gulf in Justice Podcast Albert Douglas, from London, has been wrongfully jailed for his son’s business debts that would be treated as civil claims in the UK. His own business and life’s work has been destroyed as a result of the proceedings. The family tried everything to try to resolve the cases, but were met with a shambolic judicial system. Now, Albert has been denied his heart medication and beaten by prison guards for asking. He was forced to drink from the toilet after being deprived of food and water for several days. “We are absolutely outraged by this treatment and so is Albert’s family. It’s degrading, inhumane and criminal”, said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai. “This is not an isolated incident. Matthew Hedges and Artur Ligeska were abused in prison. Artur took more than a year to repair his broken body after being raped and tortured. 22 year old Lee Bradley Brown was killed in Dubai police custody. I remember the phone call from his cellmates who witnessed him being beaten to death. I was equally shocked when Princess Latifa contacted me during her escape and told me of her abuse and torture. It is absolutely unacceptable that an ally of the United Kingdom, a trade partner and a holiday destination for citizens, continues to force confessions, lock innocent people up, violate human rights and torture our citizens. “The Canadian government intervened to rescue André Gauthier and bring him home last week. The UAE authorities investigated his case and exonerated him of the criminal charges against him. The FCO needs to ensure Albert’s speedy return to his family in the UK. This simply can’t go on”, added Stirling. The family organised a peaceful demonstration in London on Saturday that saw several hundred supporters call on authorities to #FreeAlbert and to #BoycottDubai. Albert’s detention has attracted significant celebrity support and continues to escalate. His case highlights so many other instances of injustice. “We encourage the UAE authorities to review this case of injustice. He should never have been arrested in the first place and subjected to these abuses”. At the Parliament Square demonstration, Sunday Times ‘rich list’ entrepreneur and TV star Alfie Best , called for the release of Albert, criticising the human rights violations and beatings, adding ‘Gypsy Lives Matter’. The campaign has been supported by celebrities and influencers like Claire Sweeney, Henry Simmons & Daisy O’Donnell. “With close connections to the boxing community, we expect more voices to join the effort”, said Wolfgang Douglas, Albert’s son, who has been tirelessly campaigning for his father’s release. “We have been in touch with the relevant diplomats in the UK and UAE and fully support efforts to review the cases against Albert. Return him home where he can recover and quietly pick up the pieces of the life his son says has been destroyed. His community will not stop until he is home.” added Stirling.

FCO talks to grandfather beaten & forced to drink from toilet in Dubai jail

Press Release: FCO talks to grandfather beaten & forced to drink from toilet in Dubai jail 60 year old Albert Douglas testified to being...

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‘Fitch must review new Ras Al Khaimah evidence’, says UAE expert “Fitch must review new evidence that will downgrade RAK’s Fitch Rating”, said UAE country expert witness Radha Stirling , founder of Due Process International and Detained in Dubai , who has approached Fitch. “RAK’s last Fitch Rating was ludicrous. There was a complete failure to gather effective intelligence on the severity of corruption, judicial stability, political stability and human rights abuses”, Stirling added. “Not only has there been evidence tabled of money laundering, human trafficking and Iran sanction violations, but there is compelling evidence of human rights violations, torture and corruption. “All of these elements make Ras Al Khaimah a volatile and dangerous place to invest in and rate as ‘safe’ to lenders. RAK’s strong rating seems so biased and out of touch, that it’s made quite a mockery of the rating system. Fitch risks appearing as a ‘pay to play’ financial body. “There are cases of human rights abuses and torture being heard in international courts as well as the United Nations, and RAK has been credited as being one of the biggest abusers of the Interpol database. Yet, Fitch gave them the thumbs up in their last assessment. “It’s beyond that. Sheikh Saud al Qasimi, the ruler, seized control of the Emirate in what can only be described as a ‘game of thrones’ episode that left him feeling vulnerable. His vulnerability led him to purge anyone he felt could possibly sympathise with his rival brother, who has been under house arrest since. “We have collected substantial evidence of the torture of multiple foreign nationals, including evidence that has not yet been publicly released. There are two detainees who have taken legal action in the United Kingdom and United Nations over their own wrongful detention, forced confessions and torture. Then, we have multiple individuals who have been convicted in absentia through the ruler’s court where Sheikh Saud writes his own judgments. “Evidence of sanction violations, laundering and corruption was presented to the United States a decade ago, but it was swept under the rug, giving RAK the green light to continue, until now. The climate has changed and as more and more witnesses and victims come forward, RAK’s violations are being brought to the table again. “We simply can’t have a rogue state like Ras Al Khaimah going completely unchecked. We have raised these violations with key influential political figures in both the United States and United Kingdom, who have found the evidence disturbing. Once the evidence has been considered by Fitch, they can no longer naively endorse Ras Al Khaimah as a stable jurisdiction for lenders. It would be impossible.” Stirling has conducted a five year long investigation of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, interviewing and working with key individuals within the RAK government, the ruler’s closest advisors, adversaries and victims. Stirling and her clients have been targeted with hacking attempts and intelligence gathering operations as a result. “We have seen the extent to which the UAE will go to achieve their goals. There have been kidnappings from British soil, kidnappings from US yachts, threats, torture and executions. It’s disturbing that our ally has acted against US and British citizens, against their allies and that to date, the West has done little to curtail this behaviour. This can and must not continue”, added Stirling. “We can not have organisations like Fitch giving undue credibility to what is known locally as ‘the wild west of the emirates’.

‘Fitch must review new Ras Al Khaimah evidence’, says UAE expert

‘Fitch must review new Ras Al Khaimah evidence’, says UAE expert “Fitch must review new evidence that will downgrade RAK’s Fitch Rating”,...

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INTERPOL - ‘Urgent reform needed to prevent human rights abuses’, leading expert says “The international crime information sharing agency is in need of a sharp and urgent shake up”, said Radha Stirling , an Interpol and Extradition Expert who founded IPEX Reform . “Interpol’s apparent immunity from legal accountability has left them an unregulated, yet very powerful organisation that has the ability to have individuals arrested in most of the world. “The organisation accepts Interpol Red Notices, arrest warrants, from local ‘National Crime Bureaus’ in member countries like Saudi, Qatar and the UAE. They accept the notices with minimal checks, simply trusting that the issuing country is playing fairly. But Interpol knows they are not. They know this by the number of Interpol notices that are contested and later removed. “It is shocking that INTERPOL will issue a red notice instantly, send it across the world and demand the arrest of a ‘wanted person’, but when the notice is challenged, they give themselves up to NINE months to consider its removal. Occasionally, they will suspend a notice in the interim but mostly, they will keep it active during the nine months. - An Emirati’s potential appointment as Interpol head draws criticism “We are not talking about human traffickers, drug cartels and serious crime that risks people’s lives. We are talking about people accused of breach of trust, bank debt, bounced cheques and white collar crimes. There is no reason to keep a red notice active during the consideration time in these cases. If they must though, then they absolutely need to limit their consideration time to thirty days. Nine months is an unacceptable duration for an innocent person to be listed on the database. Victims of Interpol Abuse need compensation. “Hervé Jaubert was stuck in the UK, kept from his family for almost a year after being listed on Interpol for ‘kidnapping’ Princess Latifa, who voluntarily escaped with him. Others have lost their businesses, their livelihoods and their reputations. Pilots have been grounded, individuals in regulated industries have been unable to work until cleared and businessmen who need to travel, have been unable to do so. “Right now, one of the leading abusers of Interpol, Sheikh Saud al Qasimi ‘the King of Interpol Abuse’ as we call him, has targeted Dr Khater Massaad for political and personal reasons. He’s issued seven notices against him, hoping that one would stick. “In accepting these notices, Interpol places citizens at significant risk of being extradited to a jurisdiction where there is a very strong risk of torture and human rights violations, a jurisdiction that most European countries would never agree to extradite anyone to. “Interpol must take responsibility for putting individuals in life threatening situations. Interpol’s policy is to leave it up to the country where the individual is arrested, to make the decision as to whether it is safe to extradite to the requesting country. This is fine when someone is arrested in a place like the United Kingdom, where there are safeguards to prevent extradition to places like the UAE. But when a red notice is abusive, often the victim is unsuspecting. They haven’t done anything wrong so they are not worried. They continue in their travels and businesses, unwittingly putting themselves at risk of being arrested in a country where human rights are less valuable. Sheikh Saud Al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, effectively writes his own Red Notices. He targeted Swiss national, Dr Massaad, American Oussama El Omari and a number of other Europeans. “The RAK ruler has wrongfully detained a number of others, two of whom have opened litigations in the UK for torture. Jihad Quzmar and Karam Al Sadeq are suing RAK’s lawyers, Dechert, in the High Court of England for their role in the pair’s torture. Quzmar and Sadeq are still in custody. - The King of Interpol Abuse - Controversial and abusive Interpol Red Notices ”ruin lives”. “And what if his targets are extradited? What if they are tortured or executed? Interpol must stop wiping their hands of their obligations and responsibilities. They must adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If the victims were arrested in Europe or America, it wouldn’t be such an issue, but what if they were arrested in a country with a poor human rights record? Interpol needs to consider that they are sometimes the only line of defence for people and that their database could lead to grave violations. Interpol should not automatically discharge their responsibilities to member states. Where someone like Massaad or El Omari is at risk of torture, Interpol must take that into consideration, allow that person to return to their home country and fight extradition proceedings there. They should not request their wholesale arrest. “This also raises the question as to what criteria a country has to meet to become a member? At this time, it’s a pay to play situation. Interpol is more than happy to accept an Interpol Red Notice from a country where a Sheikh can write his own legal judgments. They’re absolutely fine to then impose them on European nationals, and ask they be arrested by other human rights abusing countries that will automatically extradite someone, regardless of the risk to that person. “I will be raising these cases in our Interpol Abuse workshop in Washington DC this July. The US government needs to influence policy change and accountability within Interpol’s organisation. It is insufficient that victims of Interpol Abuse are not financially compensated by the organisation. Financial compensation would encourage better practices by Interpol and its members.” Stirling has been a leading voice against ‘Interpol Abuse’ for thirteen years, has appeared as an expert witness in multiple extradition proceedings and has represented numerous clients in having their red notices removed. Stirling says “enough is enough”. Related articles: - Dubai banks’ use of Interpol to extradite debtors from outside the country.

INTERPOL - ‘Urgent reform needed to prevent human rights abuses’, leading expert says

INTERPOL - ‘Urgent reform needed to prevent human rights abuses’, leading expert says “The international crime information sharing agency...

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60 year old Londoner, Albert Douglas, made a brave attempt to cross to Oman after losing faith in Dubai’s justice system. He had stayed in the glitzy city, thinking an innocent man could never be convicted. He had faith in the “system” and faith in the legal process. But when he saw the proceedings unfold, he couldn’t believe his own eyes. Everything he’d heard, but not believed, was happening to him . He was being prosecuted for a crime he hadn’t committed, and evidence of his innocence was completely disregarded by everyone he tried to show. He still waited, hoping a higher court would be more diligent, but nobody cared. Despite having spent a significant fortune on lawyers and despite having documentation to prove his innocence, he was persecuted. Why? Because he was the father of an officer of a company that had gone bad. Other parties sought to hold him as a hostage. The carpet & flooring wholesale businessman moved to Dubai full time in (2003) where he lived in the popular expat community of Palm Jumeirah with his wife, Naomi, who is also from London. Albert became a successful businessman and property investor in Dubai. Even during the World Economic Crisis, he managed to continue to build on his local flooring brand & hold on to all of his properties. In 2007, things were going so well that he encouraged his children to come out and start their own businesses in Dubai too. His son started his own business which went very well at first, but like so many Dubai investment stories, the market fluctuations caused many suppliers and trade partners to default on their obligations. In turn, this caused his son’s cheques to bounce. “It’s a chain effect” , said Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai , who is representing the family. “We see it all the time. Often it’s Dubai government agencies themselves, that default on contractual agreements and their own obligations. Their default then causes the foreign owned company to default on their obligations but the foreigners have no immunity and they often end up in jail for something that simply wasn’t their fault. It’s quite often the price of doing business in the UAE, and it’s largely outside your control. People’s entire lives have been ruined because a Dubai government agency decided not to pay, and there’s nothing you can do about it, even if the law is on your side,” added Stirling. His son Wolfgang, who is 34, was back in London on other business and health complaints as more and more defaulters failed to pay his company, putting him at risk of defaulting himself. The local officers and PRO's took advantage of his absence. They knew that he couldn’t return to Dubai at this stage, not when he could be jailed over a bounced cheque that wasn’t his fault. Like most investors in his position, he tried to resolve matters from the safety of abroad. “The local guys with Power of Attorneys were running amok with the company, taking what they wanted, knowing that it was on its last legs and could not possibly be saved from the large payments defaults we’d experienced” , said Wolfgang Douglas, who lives in London. “My father had originally been an officer of the company, but wasn’t active once I got started so I removed him and formally and legally discharged all of his liabilities. By this time, I got a terrible feeling. I didn’t like the idea of doing business in a country where something that’s not your fault can land you in jail. I begged my father to come home. I started reading horror stories about spouses and family members being used as leverage in financial disputes and I just got worried, but he didn’t believe anything like that could possibly happen and decided to stay on, I had a sinking feeling, but thought, maybe he’s right and I’m just being paranoid”. Then the unthinkable happened. Albert Douglas was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to three years in prison and given an outrageous AED14,950,000 government fine for a company that he had zero involvement with, just because he is related to the officer of that company. But that is not where it ends. Civil cases will also be taken against Albert and as a direct result of these legal circumstances affecting his own business, he will never be able to pay them. Civil cases that are not paid, result in prison sentences and travel bans, so he will never be able to leave effectively. Seeing that he faced the rest of his life in prison, Albert made the daring escape over the Omani border in February, one that Canadian André Gauthier tried himself in 2019. While André was taken quickly back to Dubai, Albert was taken to the notorious Al Ain Prison, where he was held for sixty days. “This is not the financial crime section of Dubai’s jails. This is Al Ain and it is a completely different, extremely hostile facility” , said Radha Stirling, who has represented a number of torture and human rights victims. “Inmates are not just complaining about cockroaches and bed bugs here. There are riots, violence, beatings and very disturbing violations. When Albert, who suffers from a heart condition and ailing health, asked for medication, he was beaten by the guards. He didn’t dare ask again. This kind of treatment is unacceptable for an ally of the West, with whom we regularly do business and trade with” , added Stirling, who has spoken with Albert. “The bottom line is that Albert had nothing to do with his son’s company. He was not an officer of the company or responsible in any way. He had his own company, which has now been ruined as a result of a process that can be seen as nothing more than a ransom situation. Albert is being held as hostage to force his family to pay for his son’s company’s liabilities. This is commonplace in the UAE. Even though it’s against the law, wives, children and family members are often held in lieu of cases. It’s outrageous.” The toll on Albert and his family has been enormous. The whole family has lost everything they worked for and even generations of past down wealth they brought from the UK to Dubai. Albert has lost his business and spent a fortune on legal bills, expecting they would be simply able to prove his innocence. “When I first spoke to Albert last year, he told me he wanted to keep trying legally as he wanted to stay on in Dubai after proving his innocence. He said he had absolutely and incontestable proof of his innocence. He fully expected the higher courts would be able to see that. I told him innocence is irrelevant to the outcome of legal proceedings in the UAE. “Expats are often used as leverage or as scapegoats. This is what makes the country such a dangerous place and why I lobby so hard to warn investors in advance. Many expats find it difficult to believe. They feel that those who go to jail deserved it or that there must have been more to the story. That is; until it happens to them or a loved one.” Detained in Dubai is extremely concerned for Mr Douglas’s welfare. He has described some concerning conditions that the organisation will push for an independent investigation of. “After the death of Lee Bradley Brown, the UK requested more access to assess prison conditions in the Emirates, but they’ve never been allowed. Anyone who tries to visit is taken to a special visitors area for VIP’s. It’s beautiful, with pot plants, designed to woo people like Lord Ramsbotham, who made a glowing report. But behind the VIP room, we have a completely different picture” , added Radha Stirling. “We are all stressed out of our minds” , said Wolfgang, describing the impact this is having on the whole family. “My autistic brother is held in Dubai. They’ve confiscated his passport and he can’t take care of himself, so my other brother had to go and look after him. I can’t go because I’ll be jailed on arrival. It’s torn us apart. We have given basically every penny to lawyers and to anyone taking cases, hoping we could solve the problem, but it wasn’t ever enough.” “None of us can believe my father, who has never done anything wrong in his life, could be jailed for my own company’s failures. It doesn’t make sense. Where else in the world could this possibly happen?” Detained in Dubai will be approaching members of Parliament this week and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to intervene, otherwise it will end up a matter for the United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detentions and it would be a disgrace to the UK if the UN were needed. The family have started a Facebook Group to support Albert using hashtags #FreeAlbert #DetainedinDubai. They welcome the wide ranging support their campaign is receiving from the general public and celebrities such as Claire Sweeney . Related Articles: - Andre Gauthier interrogated by officers and denied access to Canadian diplomats - ‘Quid Pro Quo UAE’ using diplomacy to expand powers - Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating

Ailing grandfather detained in Dubai for son’s ‘bounced cheques’, desperate for help

60 year old Londoner, Albert Douglas, made a brave attempt to cross to Oman after losing faith in Dubai’s justice system. He had stayed...

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A popular ‘Absolutely Ascot’ star issued a call for sixty year old Albert Douglas’s release from a Dubai jail. “Albert Douglas, has been wrongfully imprisoned in an unfair justice System, where he’s been beaten and subjected to countless human rights violations during his detention so far. He needs your help to get home. Please everyone can we get this father/ grandfather back home where he belongs”, Henry said to Detained in Dubai . Albert’s family are outraged after being told he was beaten when he asked for medication for his heart troubles. Albert told his son Douglas that he goes to sleep fearful that he will be woken in the night, taken from his bed and beaten. “I’m only 60kg, I have health problems and I don’t think I’d survive”, Albert told his son from prison. Albert has been taken from his cell in the middle of the night for interrogations twice in the past week. There has been significant outrage in the community over the UAE’s treatment of this British Citizen. With prominent public figures like Alfie Best and Claire Sweeney supporting the family’s endeavours to return him home. The family has set up a petition and organised a large demonstration in London on Saturday to call on the FCO to intervene and help bring Albert home. “Albert’s testimony of severe human rights abuses in the UAE penal system raises the opportunity for the British government to address these violations”, said Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai. “Lee Bradley Brown was killed in police custody with witnesses testifying he was beaten by police, but the investigation was thwarted by Dubai authorities. Our organisation has countless reports of severe violations over the years and a number of victims have spoken out about their treatment. Matthew Hedges and Artur Ligeska have spoken publicly about their experiences in the UAE. The United Kingdom won’t even extradite to the UAE based on the ‘severe risk of human rights violations and torture’, but what has the UK done to protect citizens who are in custody now? “Princess Latifa herself, has testified as to her own torture, beatings and human rights abuses and the United Nations has ruled that she is wrongfully detained. This is our supposed ally. It’s somewhere Britain promotes through trade, commerce and tourism, yet we still see wrongful detentions, forced confessions and severe human rights violations against our citizens”, added Stirling. The family has organised a large demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament (including a moving billboard) at 12:00 on Saturday to support #FreeAlbert and encourage the FCO to help him home. Detained in Dubai has spoken with MP's this week who are keen to escalate the matter. Related items: - Ailing grandfather detained in Dubai for son’s ‘bounced cheques’, desperate for help

Celebrity support increases for grandfather detained in Dubai

A popular ‘Absolutely Ascot’ star issued a call for sixty year old Albert Douglas’s release from a Dubai jail. “Albert Douglas, has been...

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British woman charged over Facebook post calling Cyprus mayor “useless”. A 35 year old musician was shocked when she was arrested on Monday in Cyprus for a Facebook comment on a local expats group, branding the local mayor “useless”. Kaela Charalampous, from Liverpool, has been living in Greek Cyprus for 14 years with her husband and four year old son. “Never in a million years, did she consider that a social media post could lead to her criminal prosecution”, said Radha Stirling of Due Process International , who was alerted to the case by a mutual friend who runs the expat group. We are used to seeing British nationals charged with social media comments in the Middle East, but for an EU country to criminally charge this woman is quite shocking. A politician should understand that public criticism and accountability are part of the job and that their voters should be able to voice their opinions freely. She didn’t abuse him, she simply voiced her opinion and if the mayor is so sensitive that being called ‘useless’ offends him, he has chosen the wrong career path. “Kaela has been forced to issue a public apology on the Facebook group in both Greek and English, but this wasn’t sufficient. They have refused to drop the charges and have told her she faces a hefty fine of 4,000 Euros. The expat community in Cyprus have responded with support for the woman, who has never been in trouble in her life. The general feeling is that the charge is outrageous and raises questions about free speech in an EU country. Is the mayor going to charge anyone who doesn’t like him?” “The decision to charge Kaela is political. The local prosecutor should have encouraged the mayor to drop the charges”, added advocate Radha Stirling, who represented Laleh Shahravesh , a woman detained in Dubai over a Facebook post. The woman has been worried about the repercussions of a criminal conviction, as well as the potential for her to be harassed by authorities. She is afraid to be home alone with her four year old in case the police turn up and force her to the station in handcuffs. “This is an outrageous assault on free speech from an EU nation. Such a policy would render half the nation criminally liable. Does Cyprus want to send a message to the world that it is so similar to Middle Eastern nations who regularly lock up dissidents and critics?” Expats in Cyprus are already dismayed by overreaching lockdown regulations, the banning of music at restaurants, and widespread fines and arrests for violations. Criminalising people who voice their opinions about local policies is going to make Cyprus a far less attractive destination. Related articles: - UK Embassy responds to woman detained in Dubai over WhatsApp - Laleh Shahravesh back in UK after horse jibe row in Dubai - Brit detained in Dubai over WhatsApp message - Americans detained in Dubai - A by-product of UAE lobbying?

British woman charged over Facebook post calling Cyprus mayor “useless”

British woman charged over Facebook post calling Cyprus mayor “useless”. A 35 year old musician was shocked when she was arrested on...

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“Nevada resident Peter Clark, from California, was finally freed from Dubai after his 2 month ordeal which cost him $50,000. Peter was deported late Tuesday night on a flight via Doha to New York.”. Detained in Dubai CEO, Radha Stirling , announced Peter Clark’s safe return to the United States. “Nevada resident Peter Clark, from California, was finally freed from Dubai after his 2 month ordeal which cost him $50,000. Peter was deported late Tuesday night on a flight via Doha to New York.”. Before his departure, Peter interviewed with Stirling for her Gulf in Justice Podcast. In the interview, Peter warns Americans to go to Miami instead. “Do not go to Dubai. You can get arrested for so many different things.” Stirling said “It’s outrageous that Peter was held in Dubai for almost two months on charges pertaining to cannabis he had smoked legally in Las Vegas before travelling to Dubai. Peter was a responsible traveller. He made sure he left any pharmaceuticals at home, including Aspirin, just to be sure he didn’t have any delays or issues at customs. Never did he imagine he could be arrested for cannabis smoked outside of the UAE. “The UAE’s extraterritorial laws have landed a number of visitors in trouble. People can be arrested for having alcohol in their system, even if served by the government’s own airline. They can be arrested for hashish consumed legally, outside the country, that leaves residue trace elements in the bloodstream. The UAE’s Cybercrime laws are far reaching and visitors can be arrested for violations that happened years ago, outside the country. For example, an offensive or rude post on social media, or a rude private message on WhatsApp. “Peter did nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested and treated so badly. As soon as we found out about the case, we appointed legal representatives and contacted US officials and members of the Senate. Fortunately, we were able to resolve Peter’s case and get him home safe. Others like Andy Neal spent more than a year in prison, fighting against frivolous charges before finally being exonerated. Dubai authorities are messing with people’s lives. They don’t seem to understand the impact a forced lengthy stay in Dubai has. People can not afford to stay in a hotel for 2-6 months awaiting a court hearing. They lose their jobs, their relationships and can even go bankrupt as a result. The stress, anxiety and emotional toll is far underrated. People in this situation don’t know if they are going to a foreign prison and whether their life is finished. This is possibly the most stressful time they’ve had in their lives. Loved ones are at home facing their worst nightmares too. “Numerous Americans have been arrested on frivolous and trumped up charges. We’ve helped Nichole Coffel , who was arrested for pressing her employer for wages after suffering a severe horse bite on the job, Melissa McBurney for telling her harasser to back off. Jordan Branford was arrested for a private Instagram message to his ex and David Oliver , for a small debt owed to a bank after suffering a stroke and becoming homeless. This kind of abuse has been left un-criticised by foreign governments who are, in a sense, giving the green light to their allies, to commit egregious human rights abuses against US citizens. “This has led the UAE to feel emboldened to act even further against Americans. Myself and certain US clients have been unlawfully targeted by the regime through surveillance and hacking attempts. Captain Hervé Jaubert’s US flagged yacht was attacked in international waters. He was kidnapped and taken to the UAE before later being released after our international press campaign. “If the United States tolerates abuses against Americans visiting Dubai, and tolerates the hacking or targeted attacks against US citizens, they are putting lives in Danger and we will ultimately end up with another Khashoggi style incident. The UAE needs to understand they can no longer get away with human rights abuses against foreigners. “We are producing a White Paper that will serve as intelligence for the US and foreign governments, law enforcement agents and even financial rating companies like Fitch, who have inappropriately given five star human rights ratings to emirates engaged in Iran sanction violations, weapons trafficking and human trafficking. “We are also keen to present the report to officials in the UAE, who can hopefully benefit from the independent analysis and take steps to make the country safer for visitors”. PETER CLARK IS STILL IN TRANSIT AND WILL ARRIVE IN AMERICA TODAY.

Radha Stirling interviews American detained in Dubai over legal marijuana. “He’s free”.

“Nevada resident Peter Clark, from California, was finally freed from Dubai after his 2 month ordeal which cost him $50,000. Peter was...

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American detained in Dubai is not alone. Why does Dubai jail tourists? UAE lobbying has suppressed criminality for over a decade and it is US citizens who pay. Nevada resident Peter Clark, originally from California, is one of a string of American tourists who have seen the inside of a Dubai jail. Just what is making Dubai so unsafe? Clark has called on Senator Rosen and Senator Cortez Masto to assist, after being arrested for trace elements of cannabis found in his urine when he was hospitalised in Dubai. He faces several years in prison if found guilty of possessing cannabis in his blood, even though it was consumed legally back home in Nevada, outside of the UAE’s jurisdiction. - American detained in Dubai calls for Nevada Senator assistance This time last year, Rob Lowe’s former personal assistant, Melissa McBurney, was detained in Abu Dhabi over allegations she had been abusive to her Egyptian stalker over WhatsApp. Under the UAE’s Cybercrime Laws, she faced two years in prison. She said: 'What I have been through has left me absolutely shaken. I have felt under constant threat the past years causing me unspeakable stress, and now I am facing criminal charges. 'I just hope the authorities can see what has been happening. I am the innocent part in all of this and they need to provide protection.' Melissa, who has also worked as a personal assistant for country star John Denver, comedian Joan Rivers and record executive Neil Bogart, was eventually released after a Detained in Dubai campaign for her freedom. The charges were eventually dropped, but when Melissa made her own allegations against the Egyptian stalker, for severe online harassment and circulating offensive photos of her, the authorities did not pursue him. “This just shows the severe inequality in the UAE”, said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, who represented Melissa. “Ashraf Faisal Hegazy’s frivolous allegation was taken seriously and Melissa was detained, but when her hundreds of pages of documented evidence of his violations were presented to authorities, they chose not to pursue him and swept it under the rug. Similarly, women have ended up jailed for sex outside marriage after reporting violent rapes”. - Melissa McBurnie case exposes anti female bias in UAE Florida resident, Professor David Oliver was detained in Dubai after suffering a stroke that rendered him incapable of repaying a small credit card debt. Only after a Detained in Dubai campaign coupled with diplomatic intervention, was he able to return home. Sadly, he died only one year after arriving home due to a degenerative disease that went untreated in Dubai. “This case was particularly heartbreaking”, said Radha Stirling who remains in touch with his family. “It was only because he was stuck in the country that his medical condition went undiagnosed. He’d already suffered a stroke and was just left there, homeless and ill.” Oregon fitness trainer Jordan Branford was arrested after his ex-wife, from Egypt, reported him to police for using an offensive word in a private Instagram message to her. “It’s difficult to comprehend that a private message sent in the heat of the moment can land you in jail. A number of fighting couples or those amidst a break-up have engaged in heated text based arguments that are considered jailable offenses if the other party reports them. Sometimes, they are deliberately provoked so a vindictive report can be made. Laleh Shahravesh was arrested for a post, calling her former husband’s new partner “horse face”, and a woman was released this year after texting a swear word to her flatmate during lockdown disputes. The Cybercrime laws criminalise almost any visitor to the UAE”. This is not a simple case of following the law though. “The UAE is a country where rape victims can be jailed for sex outside marriage, where people can be jailed for having a blood alcohol reading in public (however small), where a simple allegation is sufficient evidence to arrest and detain someone and where a witness statement is sufficient to secure a conviction. For whatever reason, if someone makes an allegation against another for offensive behaviour, rudeness, road rage or another crime, the police will detain that person. We have instances of forced confessions, of extortion and of embassies telling their citizens to just ‘plead guilty’. It is this lack of evidentiary proof, corruption and due process, that makes Dubai a very unsafe place for tourists” , added Stirling. The UAE has shown an increasing disrespect to Americans over the last decade, but why? “It’s become clearer”, says Stirling, who has launched an investigation into the UAE’s relationship with America. “We can see the blatantly obvious. The trade deals, the arms deals and the mutually beneficial security relations, but more and more, I am asked by US officials and even the FBI, why is the US turning a blind eye to severe violations? We have uncovered significant evidence of the suppression of intelligence relating to illicit trading, Iran sanctions violations, human trafficking, weapons trading and money laundering. But when these issues have previously been brought to the attention of state security, congress and the senate, the UAE has sent their lobbyists to work and the intel has been suppressed, the subject changed. “The problem with this, is that the UAE has been sent a clear message that they can get away with some serious criminal activity and that the US and other foreign states, will look the other way so long as they continue to feather their nests. It is this that is putting American lives at stake though, and it is imperative this stops before we end up with another Khashoggi style execution”. “Dubai hotel tycoon Khalaf al Habtoor (Hilton group) adamantly denied Saudi’s involvement in Khashoggi’s extrajudicial killing just as he denied his employee’s involvement in a cocaine flight from South America . When US national Mr Khoury informed him of his employee’s involvement, he opened an Interpol Red Notice against Khoury because he found the allegation ‘insulting’. Interpol’s database is open to abuse by those who pay, and the UAE pays well. US national Oussama El Omari was recruited by the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, but after a game of thrones style shift in power, Omari was wrongfully placed on Interpol’s databases and targeted by the ruler’s US agents. El Omari has just won a New York case against the agents. “Then quite astonishingly, the regime has been targeting US citizens with Israeli intelligence agencies. The Daily Beast last week reported their investigation that Bluehawk CI, an Israeli / US intelligence firm, had posed as Fox News Journalists to try to gather information on our clients and to hack them. Both Oussama El Omari and Dr Khater Massaad were targeted by the firm. I have also been targeted by the regime for my work in uncovering Ras Al Khaimah’s suppressed crimes. The Times of Israel asked for comment from the government and the spy firm but were met with silence. “ I have reported these crimes to the FBI to investigate . It is no longer acceptable that the UAE has the green light to target US civilians. This has to stop before it escalates further. - Detained in Dubai reports UAE's Israel-US hacking agent to FBI “In 2018, the UAE committed the most outrageous crime against a US civilian yacht in international waters, circumventing international laws and treaties to kidnap Princess Latifa and US/French national Captain Hervé Jaubert and unlawfully render them to Dubai. In no way, was it justifiable that the UAE ordered a military attack on a private US vessel in international waters in the dead of night, so why was it allowed and what kind of a message does this send to our apparent ally? “As it stands, the UAE has approval to act belligerently and criminally, causing a significant increased security threat. This is seen in everything from the unfair detentions of tourists, to cases of illegal hacking, surveillance, human rights abuses and torture and the most serious threat of the UAE taking action against people outside of their own jurisdiction. American Hervé Jaubert was plucked from international waters. Oussama El Omari has been targeted with espionage within the United States and the country is only being further emboldened. The UK has already ruled that Princess Shamsa was kidnapped from British soil. If the US does not change their tune, we can expect to see the UAE becoming more of a danger internationally.” “The State Department’s travel warnings have certainly increased over the past few years, but the hundreds of millions of dollars invested by Dubai’s tourism and lobbying department continues to lure Americans to the desert city. Influencers, singers, artists and celebrities are promoting a country that is anything but liberal, and in direct conflict with most of their declared public values. “The UAE will continue to market itself as a modern, liberal city and influencers and politicians will continue to profit from the suppression of truth and abuses. But after more than fifteen thousand cases at Detained in Dubai, and years of investigation, the UAE will only find it harder to distract the public. The politicians and influencers will find it much harder to justify their association to the country”. More related articles: - Impersonation nation? Israeli intel firms’ shady methods spotlighted in UAE flap - Israeli Snoop-for-Hire Posed as a Fox News Journalist for a Spy Operation - Evil under the Dubai sun: Beneath the glamorous facade beloved of celebrity influencers and British holidaymakers, Dubai has a dark secret of medieval injustice... and the princess held hostage is only the start, writes GUY ADAMS

Americans detained in Dubai - A by-product of UAE lobbying?

American detained in Dubai is not alone. Why does Dubai jail tourists? UAE lobbying has suppressed criminality for over a decade and it...

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Time of Israel Investigates: "Impersonation nation? Israeli intel firms’ shady methods spotlighted in UAE flap" A report last week accusing a private Israeli intelligence firm of impersonating journalists in order to elicit information from opponents of an Emirati royal family shines a spotlight on Israeli cyber intelligence firms that reportedly do business in authoritarian regimes. A Times of Israel investigation has revealed that the owner of the firm in question, Bluehawk CI, has a history of prior fraud prosecutions in Israel. The Defense Ministry chose not to respond to a Times of Israel’s inquiry as to why it had not regulated the firm’s activities abroad. According to the April 6 report in The Daily Beast, in early 2020 individuals pretending to be a Fox News researcher and a reporter for Italy’s La Stampa newspaper approached two individuals who have fallen afoul of the leadership of Ras Al Khaimah, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Daily Beast, the journalist impersonators tried to trick the two men into divulging information about their legal disputes with the emirate. The report underlines how Israel has in recent years spawned an industry of seemingly unregulated spy-for-hire firms, with former Israeli military officers privatizing skills they acquired in secretive intelligence units and often selling their know-how to sketchy individuals or authoritarian regimes. The Daily Beast reportedly established the identity of the private intelligence firm by contacting Facebook, which revealed that accounts used by the two supposed journalists were associated with the Israeli firm Bluehawk CI. Bluehawk CI did not respond to The Times of Israel’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Defense said that Bluehawk CI does not appear on its list of approved vendors, but did not answer a follow-up question as to whether the ministry is supposed to be regulating the company in the first place. According to Israel’s Defense Export Control Law , anyone exporting defense equipment or know-how abroad must register with and receive permission from Israel’s Defense Export Control Agency. Bluehawk CI is one of the less well-known Israeli private intelligence firms. Founded in June 2018, it offers cyber technologies and intelligence solutions, including “social engineering & PR campaign management” and “complex intelligence investigations,” according to its website . The company was founded and is owned by Guy Klisman, a former major in the Israel Defense Forces. Klisman is also the academic director of the Pafos Innovation Institute in Cyprus, a cybersecurity studies institute founded by Uriel Reichman, a law professor who heads the Interdisciplinary Institute in Herzliya. Klisman’s company, Bluehawk CI, is a sponsor of the Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball team. Court filings show that before founding the company, Klisman was twice indicted by Israeli prosecutors, once for forgery and separately for multiple unauthorized charges to an acquaintance’s credit card. He acknowledged guilt in the forgery case while the second indictment was ultimately withdrawn. According to The Daily Beast, in February 2020, someone claiming to be named “Samantha,” a FOX News journalist, contacted a man named Oussama El Omari by email. El Omari is the former chief executive and director general of the Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Authority in the United Arab Emirates. He was convicted in absentia in the UAE for “embezzlement and abuse of position” following a succession battle in Ras Al Khaimah. El Omari claims the charges are politically motivated. “Samantha” reportedly tried to elicit information about his legal disputes with Ras Al Khaimah. When contacted by The Daily Beast, Facebook reportedly told news site that “Smantha’s” account was in fact associated with Bluehawk CI. According to the Daily Beast, another Facebook user pretending to be a reporter for Italy’s La Stampa newspaper contacted Khater Massaad, another foe of the current Ras Al Khaimah regime. Massaad was the head of Ras Al Khaimah’s sovereign wealth fund, RAKIA until 2012. He was convicted by an Emirati court in 2015 of embezzlement from RAKIA, charges Massaad likewise claims were trumped up and politically motivated. The fake reporter, whom Facebook tied to Bluehawk CI, likewise tried to elicit information about his relationship with the rulers of Ras Al Khaimah, The Daily Beast reported. ‘High cost of living’ The recent normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has been a boon for Israeli intelligence and cybersecurity firms, with companies like the iPhone-hacking NSO Group , venture capital firm Synaptech Capital and Cellebrite all reportedly making lucrative deals in the desert sheikhdoms. Cybersecurity is Israel’s leading high-tech sector in terms of the amount of venture capital it attracts, according to the Israel Innovation Authority [ Hebrew link ]. For Bluehawk CI, work in the UAE may have been a source of desperately needed cash. In 2015, prior to founding Blackhawk CI, Klisman and his then-wife declared bankruptcy, according to Israeli court filings. The couple had hundreds of thousands of shekels in consumer debt, which they attributed to Israel’s “high cost of living.” Israel is one of the most expensive countries in the world, with Tel Aviv recently ranked as the world’s fifth most expensive city. In 2016, Israeli prosecutors indicted Klisman for counterfeiting bailiffs’ and court documents in an effort to prevent the IDF from garnishing his salary to pay off creditors. A judge deemed him guilty of the crimes but did not officially convict him, sentencing him to 250 hours of community service. Klisman retired from the Israel Defense Forces at the end of 2017 and founded his company six months later. In January 2018, Klisman was charged by fraud police with using the credit card number of a woman he met in a Whatsapp tennis group to make NIS 1,577 (about $450) in unauthorized purchases. A year later the government withdrew the indictment. Klisman did not respond to The Times of Israel’s request for comment. While it is unclear who may or may not have hired Bluehawk, Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a company that represents clients in legal disputes with UAE governments, believes the government of Ras Al Khaimah is responsible. “This is monstrous,” said Stirling in a press release. “By contracting the espionage out to a private firm, the government of Ras Al Khaimah is trying to avoid accountability for spying on foreign nationals outside their jurisdiction; but this is a major breach and the UAE and Israel must be called to account,” Stirling said. Where to draw the ethical red line? According to a 2019 report by Israel’s cyber directorate, at the end of 2018, Israel had 421 active cyber companies of which 7 percent, or about 30, are engaged in “cyber intelligence.” Elad Ratson , a former Israeli diplomat who is the Founder and CEO of Vayehee, a company that uses technology to counter fake news, foreign misinformation and what he describes as “online weapons of mass obstruction,” told The Times of Israel that in his estimate the number of such companies is higher. “Most Israeli cyber intelligence companies specialize in OSINT or open-source intelligence,” he said. “This is an area of expertise of the Israeli intelligence services. There are huge amounts of openly available data online, and Israel’s intelligence services are reputable for their effective use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to extract quality intelligence from the sea of available big-data out there.” The majority of Israeli cyberintelligence companies focus on passive OSINT, he said, merely scraping data that is freely available. Some, however, also engage in what he calls “perception engineering,” or the manipulation of a target’s point of view through methods of “online deception.” Such companies, he said, one of the most famous of which is Black Cube, can often earn a bad reputation as a result of their activities. Nevertheless, Ratson believes that many Israeli cyberintelligence companies do have ethical red lines they won’t cross. “Unlike other government ministries in Israel, the Israeli Defense Ministry has a strong export regulatory arm. Israeli cyber companies are cautious about working for the ‘wrong’ type of clients and falling afoul of the Defense Ministry,” he said. Nevertheless, “the temptation is high,” Ratson added. “Sometimes when there are large sums of money on the table, some companies have attempted to cut ethical corners. That’s when you start to see negative international press associated with Israeli cyber companies.

Detained in Dubai talks to Times of Israel on shady Israeli intel

Time of Israel Investigates: "Impersonation nation? Israeli intel firms’ shady methods spotlighted in UAE flap" A report last week...

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