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Ramadan started on Tuesday in Dubai, a time where prisoners are often pardoned and released. But for most foreigners intertwined with the Emirati judicial process, this simply adds to the inherent delays. Peter has been held in the UAE for almost two months after a routine test at hospital found trace elements of hashish in his body. Trace elements can be present in the body for up to around two months after consumption. “Peter was called by the police several times and asked to attend in person but seemingly, it was only to arrange a covid test for him. It has been a rollercoaster ride for Peter who has been told false information from the beginning” , said Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International , who is representing Mr Clark. "We have contacted the US Consular service in Dubai to request their assistance, as well as Peter’s Senators and Congressional representatives in Las Vegas, Nevada. The US government needs to act to protect their citizens who are unfairly detained abroad, particularly in the UAE. We have just sold $23 billion worth of weapons to a nation who has no qualms about extrajudicial criminality. The UAE was reported just last week to have hacked US citizens, including myself, legal opponents and human rights critics. We have serious assaults against US citizens, abduction of US citizens, and the attack of a US flagged yacht at sea. It’s time the United States took these offences seriously. We have just reported a range of offences to the FBI, following a Daily Beast investigative report . "The fact is, Peter’s case is not uncommon and the US must insist the UAE review its laws and arrest procedures to make it safer for US citizens. The UAE spends hundreds of millions on lobbying and marketing efforts in the US to attract to their 'glitzy tourist paradise’ but when they arrive, they face unfair and lengthy detentions, forced confessions and even torture. The UAE’s willingness to violate international treaties, laws and standards has unfortunately been encouraged over the past decade. Serious Iran sanction violations, human trafficking and arms smuggling reports were submitted in DC to the House and Senate, as well as to the State Department of then Secretary Hillary Clinton, but the UAE’s bank book and lobbying presence managed to suppress the wrongdoing. That suppression has given the green light to the UAE to act criminally and recklessly with an emboldened sense of impunity. “We are preparing further reports of such violations that clearly warrant action. “Peter Clark, has been held in Dubai for almost two months. He’s struggling. Being detained in a foreign country that you had only planned to stay for a few days, is daunting and it’s costly. Peter was there to look at investment opportunities. He doesn’t know anyone there and is stuck on his own in a hotel room while awaiting his fate. This is an extremely traumatic experience for anyone. They have no idea what is going to happen to them, if they are going back to jail, if their life is ruined. It’s even worse for those who have committed no crime, like Peter. Family man Andy Neal was detained for over a year in prison, before being exonerated. These are not experiences that people can get over quickly”. Stirling has assisted a number of Americans faces persecution in Dubai. Melissa McBurnie was falsely accused of Cybercrime violations by her Egyptian stalker. David Oliver was held for small bank debts after he suffered a stroke. Najib Khoury and Oussama El Omari were both wrongfully placed on Interpol, while Hervé Jaubert was abducted from international waters and brought to the UAE to be interrogated. “There is a disturbing pattern” , added Stirling, who founded the organisation in 2008 and who has helped in more than 15,000 cases of injustice. Peter Clark, 51, from Nevada, is hopeful he will be home soon. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Who would ever think you could get arrested for marijuana residue found in a drug test, from long before you ever travelled? This means anyone who has consumed hashish in the past couple of months could be arrested. How does that make sense? This whole situation has been really tough. I was only supposed to be here a few days. I have no idea what is going to happen, whether I’ll end up in prison a year like Andy Neal , or whether I’ll be deported. “The longer I stay here, the more nightmare stories I see. It’s very concerning. The Embassy has been of no assistance and members of congress and senators have not yet responded to my pleas for help. I am not stunned, but I am disappointed that my country allows this”. Original Press Release and background information here: - American locked up for marijuana consumed in Las Vegas BEFORE traveling to Dubai faces three years in prison - EXCLUSIVE: Rob Lowe's former personal assistant is arrested in Abu Dhabi for cybercrime after sending derogatory email to 'stalker' ex-boyfriend (Daily Mail) - Detained in Dubai reports UAE's Israel-US hacking agent to FBI - Step-dad of East Lothian man held over cannabis grinder suffers a heart attack in Greece - Connor Clements, Brit jailed in Dubai for medical marijuana taken in UK

American detained in Dubai calls for Nevada Senator assistance

Ramadan started on Tuesday in Dubai, a time where prisoners are often pardoned and released. But for most foreigners intertwined with...

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A newly published report by The Daily Beast’s Adam Rawnsley details how Ras Al Khaimah used an Israeli private intelligence company to hack American and European citizens deemed enemies of the regime of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi. “ This is monstrous ,” said Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai , whose organisation was targeted in an elaborate hacking scheme by RAK last year. “ This is a government employing private sector spies to hack the communications of, and deceitfully obtain information from foreign citizens; citizens of countries who are allies of both the UAE and Israel. 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. ” Israeli intelligence firm BlueHawk CI was discovered to have perpetrated a series of attempts to gain access to information through trickery, false pretences, manipulation, and by the use of malware in order to help the government of RAK against American citizen Oussama El Omari and Swiss national Khater Massaad, who are both involved in lawsuits against Sheikh Saud and his agents. The hacking attempt against Radha Stirling, who is the leading Western critic of the UAE and whose organisation has campaigned for thousands of wrongfully detained and abused victims in the Emirates, is particularly troubling. “ They went to an inordinate amount of trouble to hack my personal communications, which would have given RAK access to confidential client information, personal details of victims, and the identities of everyone in our support network, with a very obvious intention of then targeting and persecuting those people. The regime in Ras Al Khaimah is charged with grave human rights violations including torture, false imprisonment, fabrication of evidence, threats and intimidation, endemic corruption; and the list goes on. They want to silence every voice that draws attention to their wrongdoing, and most of those voices belong to people interacting with my device ,” Stirling explained. RAK’s use of an Israeli company should alarm officials in Israel, Stirling noted, “The Abraham Accords were the product of American diplomacy. It does not sit well for the newly established peaceful ties between the UAE and Israel to be exploited to now commit espionage against American citizens.” - Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating Stirling has filed a report with the FBI over the incident and is pursuing all avenues for holding RAK and their agents accountable. She explained, “ This is not the first time RAK has been involved in hacking, nor is it the first time that Sheikh Saud has outsourced criminal activity to private sector agents. International US law firm Dechert is currently embroiled in allegations of torture committed on Saud’s behalf, Farhad Azima’s email account hacking resulted in litigation, and we have a list of multiple intelligence companies, law firms, journalists and PR agencies Saud relies upon to persecute his rivals and critics. The RAK government under Sheikh Saud, quite frankly, operates like a criminal organisation” Related Articles: - Israeli Snoop-for-Hire Posed as a Fox News Journalist for a Spy Operation (Adam Rawnsley at The Daily Beast) - RAK’s Volatile Dictatorship Unsafe for Investors (Detained in Dubai News desk) - Investor beware: Israelis face unique risks in the UAE (Radha Stirling, at The Times of Israel blog)

Radha Stirling CEO of Detained in Dubai discusses Israeli spy hacking

A newly published report by The Daily Beast’s Adam Rawnsley details how Ras Al Khaimah used an Israeli private intelligence company to...

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Ignorance is no defence for travellers who fall foul of local customs and laws against behaviour that they may assume is as acceptable abroad as it is in their home country, as Robin Gauldie (politely) reports What may be seen as a merry prank in one country may cause grievous offence in another. For example, in 2009 when a British holidaymaker in Marmaris dropped his pants in front of a statue of Kemal Ataturk, he may have expected, at worst, a stern warning if caught. In actual fact, he was jailed, deported and banned from returning to Turkey – a verdict that some Turks felt was too lenient. “He's lucky it was the police that took him,” one Marmaris resident told a British newspaper. “The local boys wanted to kill him for being so insulting.” More recently, a misjudged jape last year resulted in the jailing and fining of four young visitors (one Dutch, one English and two Canadian) to Malaysia, who stripped off for selfies atop Mount Kinabalu, a mountain considered sacred by many Malaysians. Actions such as these – seemingly innocent to those taking part in them – occur the world over on a regular basis, landing travellers in need of legal representation and assistance from their insurer. Putting one’s foot in it Ironically, travellers are at most risk of offending in destinations that appear superficially sophisticated and hedonistic. Few visitors to Iran or Saudi Arabia, for example, can be unaware of their strict laws, but in some seemingly easy-going destinations it’s alarmingly easy to break the law without even trying. Penalties can seem disproportionately harsh, and it can be difficult for first-time visitors to distinguish acceptable behaviour from acts that will cause offence. some seemingly easy-going destinations it’s alarmingly easy to break the law without even trying In much of the Middle East and North Africa, it's not unusual to see two (straight) men strolling hand in hand. But for mixed-sex couples, public shows of affection are often frowned upon, including popular destinations such as the United Arab Emirates. The UK Foreign Office advises travellers to the UAE that while married couples holding hands ‘is tolerated’, all other open displays of affection, such as kissing and hugging, are ‘generally not tolerated’. And the UAE is not the only country where visitors need to be aware of strict laws that, if broken, may lead to deportation, imprisonment and a criminal record. “Swearing in certain locations in Australia lands you a $500 fine,” says Mike O'Halloran, head of operations at Northcott Global Solutions. “Wearing camouflage clothes in Grenada could land you in jail for a year. Not carrying ID in Japan can land you in prison for 23 days. Wearing swimwear outside the beach area in Spain lands you a €600 fine. The list goes on throughout the world.” This summer, several French resorts banned the burkini, an all-over swimusit worn by some Muslim women. In Arizona, it’s perfectly acceptable to walk down Main Street with a Colt .45 pistol on your hip – but carrying an open can of Colt 45 malt liquor along the same street (or almost anywhere in the US) could earn you a night in jail. ‘Open carry’ is one thing, but ‘Open container’ is another. Alcohol is severely restricted in Utah, for example, America's most strait-laced state, but it’s only a couple of hours drive from the state line to anything-goes Las Vegas. Younger visitors to the US from the UK, where the minimum legal age for alcohol purchase is 18, find they can't buy alcohol until they're 21. Over-21s may buy cannabis for recreational use in some US states but may be breaking the law if they do so elsewhere in the US. swearing in certain locations in Australia lands you a $500 fine Similar confusing variations apply in many other countries. In the UAE, alcohol is legal in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but illegal in neighbouring Sharjah, for instance. In Malaysia, booze is banned in the conservative states of Kelantan and Terengganu, while elsewhere in the country it's widely available to non-Muslims, but not to Muslims. An expat or visitor who buys a beer for a Malaysian Muslim chum breaks the law. Where capitalism meets conservatism The UAE has become a hot spot for cases in which travellers find themselves unwittingly on the wrong side of the law. “The UAE features heavily because it is the crossroads where capitalism meets conservative ideology,” explains Mike O’Halloran, head of operations at Northcott Global Solutions. Dubai draws vacationers, corporate travellers and expatriates from all over the world, he points out – but its cosmopolitanism is only skin deep. “Holidaymakers who last year were partying, openly drinking alcohol and sunbathing naked in Spain assume that the higher price of their holiday in Dubai permits at least the same level of acceptance,” says O’Halloran. The UAE’s strict laws have seen a rise in tourists imprisoned for seemingly minor offences, often connected with social media, he explains, citing the case of Scott Richards, detained earlier this year after publicising a US-based charity on Facebook. It is illegal to advertise charities in the UAE without authorisation. “These kinds of cases are occurring in the UAE because it has become such a popular destination for tourists and expats who are drawn by the image of the Emirates as a modern, prosperous country, and they may be assuming things about the legal system and cultural values of the UAE based on that image,” says Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a UK-based non-profit legal consultancy. Others who have fallen foul of UAE law include an American architect, Robert Blake, detained in Abu Dhabi in 2014 for photographing a public building, and Australian expat Jodi Magi, arrested and deported from Abu Dhabi in 2015 after posting a picture online of a car parked across two disabled parking spaces outside her apartment. In Blake’s case, his subject was reportedly one of a number of buildings that are off-limits to photographers. Magi was charged under the UAE’s 2012 Federal Anti-Information Technology Crimes Law, which prohibits taking any picture and posting it on the web without explicit permission. you can never know when, where or against whom the police will decide to enforce the law The social media boom has also contributed to a substantial increase in the number of defamation cases filed in the UAE, according to Sara Khoje and Rebecca Ford, employment partners at the Dubai offices of global law firm Clyde & Co. Such cases may be brought under the UAE's Cyber Crimes Law (Federal Laws 3 and 5, introduced in 2012), or under articles 372, 373 and 378 of the UAE Penal Code, relating to defamation. There is no specific regulation in the UAE of the use of social media, Khoje and Ford say: “However, careless use of social media, whether for a private or business matter, can result in criminal and civil liability arising. Defamatory content could include posting information about others without their consent, or posting photographs or videos without the consent of the subject.” In the UAE, what might seem to be minor infringements can escalate quickly into full-scale police and court involvement if zealous private citizens invoke the full force of the law, as in the recent case of a visitor charged with ‘offensive and indecent behaviour’ in a Dubai shopping mall after being accused by a security guard of breaking the Emirate's strict laws against cross-dressing. Like other visitors accused of offences in the UAE, he opted to plead guilty in order to reduce legal costs and avoid a lengthy detention. He was fined 5,000 dirhams (£950). “Aside from the fact that many things are criminalised in the Emirates which expats would never think are offenses, there is also a problem in that the enforcement of laws seems to be highly arbitrary,” says Rahda Stirling. “Thus, visitors may think something is legal both because it is legal in their home countries, but also because they may see it taking place all around them while they are in the UAE. But you can never know when, where or against whom the police will decide to enforce the law.” Not quite so strict Some Muslim countries, however, are more easygoing in their treatment of visitors. “During the last decade, I don’t remember cases where there were real legal conflicts which affected tourists,” says Dr Asaad Mishail Riad, general manager of Egypt In-Touch Assistance. “When there is a conflict between a tourist and a local – for example, a taxi driver or salesman – or even between spouses, the local authorities and policemen tend to solve it in a smooth and sometimes non-formal way. As a medical and travel assistance company based in Egypt, we haven’t been requested more than twice by insurance or international assistance companies to intervene in similar situations.” Some may argue that those who encounter legal problems while abroad could and should have informed themselves of local laws and customs before visiting. But that is not always easy. For example, the UK FCO, US State Department and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade all flag up UAE laws against cross-dressing, but fail to define what constitutes an offence. Dubai's own official code of conduct, while laying down that shorts and skirts worn in public ‘shall be of appropriate length’ and clothing must not ‘indecently expose parts of the body’, makes no mention of cross-dressing. the UAE’s strict laws have seen a rise in tourists imprisoned for seemingly minor offences “The challenge is that most of the time, travellers are not aware of specific laws and the wider legal framework in the country they travel to, and it’s not something that travellers can always be expected to know about,” says Mark Rands, head of Intana Global. Legal considerations have become an increasingly important aspect of duty of care in the corporate sphere, he says, and are often closely aligned with cultural and social considerations. He cites a high-profile case of a senior business executive falling foul of Japan's drug laws by carrying medication prescribed in her home country but treated as a controlled substance in Japan: “Companies and their staff are increasingly relying on corporate travel risk partners to provide the necessary insights [into such issues].” Similarly, he argues, leisure and business travellers must be made aware of the challenges posed by social media. “The ease of commenting on social media makes it easier to break local laws and making travellers aware of all the rules and restrictions is a challenge,” Rands says. “Travellers need to be aware of the risks so they can take responsibility for their own actions. In the case of business travellers, assistance companies can provide travellers with specific information that can mitigate risk.” According to Rands, many travellers are looking to social media channels for information and advice. “We conducted some research with business travellers recently,” he says. “When asked how they would most like to receive information regarding travel risks, two fifths (43 per cent) chose email communication, followed by 14 per cent who would prefer a face-to-face meeting. Social media was third, at 13 per cent.” What’s on offer? Travel assistance companies and their partners are offering a growing range of services that go further to head off legal problems or deal with them when they do arise. “In a way, it is down to travellers’ cultural awareness and common sense,” says Rands. “In most cases the remit will be too broad to issue all but the most general kind of warning.” But travel insurers and assistance companies, he says, can seek to provide an informative framework so travellers can be prompted and encouraged to ask more specific questions in light of their personal travel circumstances. Global assistance providers such as NGS can offer country profiles pre-departure, and e-learning to advise travellers about local security issues and local customs before they even step past the custom gates, says Mike O'Halloran: “These go above and beyond usual practices that tour operators and travel agents typically give out, who don’t generally do the leg work for you.” NGS offers comprehensive pre-trip planning through its web-based ‘Voyage Manager’, a tool that provides information on criminal penalties, embassy locations, safety and security and entry and exit requirements, says O'Halloran: “Our UAE pre-departure country profile, for example, has a section specifically about local customs and restrictions. These list the specific risks of breaking the rules, plus the most common laws.” Legal considerations have become an increasingly important aspect of duty of care … and are often closely aligned with cultural and social considerations However, he cautions, insurance is likely to continue generally caveating liability onto the insured and excluding cover if host country laws are actually broken. “The liability will remain on the traveller; ignorance cannot be an excuse. It is the impact of your intentions, not the intentions, for which you will be held to account.” Legal helplines, then, could potentially become an increasingly prevalent resource available to travellers. “Because we have been involved in so many cases like Scott Richards’ we realised the necessity of establishing a legal resource similar to, but more comprehensive than, a conventional traveller’s insurance programme,” says Detained in Dubai’s Radha Stirling, whose company offers a membership option to provide legal support and intervention for foreigners who find themselves on the wrong side of the law in Dubai. Members will be able to notify the company via a mobile phone app as soon as a problem occurs, she says: “We will be able to dispatch a lawyer to the police station to try to resolve the matter before it escalates, or if necessary to arrange bail. We can help members to obtain financial support for fines or legal expenses through our local contacts and, when appropriate, we can mobilise a media campaign about their case.” It’s a minefield out there. Mind how you go... ⬛ Full article at the International Travel & Health Insurance Journal

No laughing matter

Ignorance is no defence for travellers who fall foul of local customs and laws against behaviour that they may assume is as acceptable...

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It’s happened again. Dubai’s strict drug laws prohibit the possession of hashish/marijuana, but possession there, includes carrying drugs within one’s bloodstream . That means visitors to the UAE who have consumed hashish/marijuana legally in their own country, can be arrested for possessing hashish in their blood when they get to Dubai. This is exactly what happened to 51 year old Silicon Valley veteran, Peter Clark, who faces three years in a desert jail. Las Vegas resident Peter Clark flew to Dubai on the 24th of February 2021 for a few days to assess professional recording studios, but was admitted for emergency hospital treatment after falling ill with pancreatitis. Before discharge, the hospital took a urine sample to test for drugs and found residue traces of hashish. They dutifully reported their findings to police who promptly turned up to the hospital to charge Peter, who was still in a drowsy state, having not been able to eat or drink since he was admitted. On the 3rd of March, Peter was handcuffed and taken to Al Barsha police station , where he was put in a detention cell with three other men. He didn’t understand why he had been detained. He had not brought any drugs into the UAE, purchased or consumed any drugs in Dubai. He knew the law. Still feeling extremely unwell, having suffered hyperglycemia and respiratory alkalosis with a blood sugar level more than ten times what it should have been due to the pancreatitis, Peter was then taken to the Anti-Narcotics unit and thrown into a filthy cell with at least ten other men arrested for drug possession. The hospital had provided a number of medications (including antibiotics) for him to continue but the police denied his repeated requests for help, causing the vein in the crook of his left elbow to become infected from the multiple IVs the hospital administered. On the 6th of March, Peter was released from his flea ridden cell and told to return to his hotel and await their contact. Over a month later, Peter is still in Dubai and without intervention, faces years in prison. “The UAE’s arbitrary enforcement of laws and lack of predictable legal outcomes means that Peter potentially faces years in prison for legally smoking marijuana. Even if found innocent, he can be dragged through a slow and costly legal process”, said Radha Stirling , founder of Detained in Dubai , who is representing Mr Clark. “Visitors to Dubai who have planned for a short stay holiday can end up embroiled in a system that will easily cost them $50,000 - $100,000 in hotels and legal fees but some outcomes are even worse. Corrupt police informants have been used by the prosecution to upgrade possession cases to that of drug dealing, which carries a life sentence. British national and military veteran Andy Neal , was jailed for more than a year on false drug dealing allegations, before finally being exonerated after our Detained in Dubai campaign. “The UAE creates the illusion of being a modern party place and although visitors accept that certain behaviours are illegal, it is very easy to be confused when police only randomly enforce the law. On the one hand, prostitution, homosexuality and indecent behaviours are unlawful, and yet they are seen more blatantly in Dubai than most other world cities. It is easy to see how visitors might be trapped into believing that anything goes and the police will turn a blind eye. “The UAE should not be prosecuting visitors for acts committed outside their country. Peter has committed no genuine crime within Dubai. It is clear that the UAE must alter the technical wording of their drug laws to ensure foreigners are not unnecessarily persecuted. “We’ve seen foreigners arrested for drugs taken outside of the UAE, specs of almost undetectable marijuana ‘dust’ at the bottom of belongings, a poppyseed from a bread roll consumed at the airport, pharmaceutical and prescription medicine , and even a glass of wine served onboard Emirates airlines. Arresting someone for smoking marijuana in their own country, weeks before they even entered the UAE, is unfairly persecuting tourists who have behaved well within Dubai itself. The US State department needs to revise travel warnings to Americans who could end up arbitrarily detained”. - Connor Clements, Brit jailed in Dubai for medical marijuana taken in UK In a video recorded in the taxi from detention to his hotel, an exhausted Peter said “I’ve lost a tonne of weight. No shower, no food, nothing to drink since I got here. No sleep.” Stirling added, “The police told Peter they were taking him back to his hotel from the hospital but instead they took him to Al Barsha police station and locked him up. Since being bailed, he’s had to move from hotel to hotel. The police kept calling him and asking him to come and collect his passport, teasing him that he would be freed or deported, but they were luring him to the station to interrogate him, to take mugshots and fingerprints and to hold him in a cell for days. There does not seem to be an end in sight and cases like this can go south quickly. “It’s imperative the US Embassy get involved and speak with their counterparts at the UAE’s foreign office. The UAE and US have strong diplomatic ties and the UAE is America’s closest ally in the Middle East. But ties have been strained after the UAE led attack on a US flagged yacht , violations of Iran sanctions by Ras Al Khaimah and the hacking of US nationals . The United States needs to ensure that citizens who visit the Emirates are safe from legal abuse”. Related articles: - Detained In Dubai: Growing concern over UAE's vague drug law - War hero Andy Neal jailed in Abu Dhabi finally returns home after being EXONERATED of drugs charges - Dubai drug raid: MP questions detention of air hostess

Dubai police arrest American man for possession of hashish consumed OUTSIDE the UAE

It’s happened again. Dubai’s strict drug laws prohibit the possession of hashish/marijuana, but possession there, includes carrying drugs...

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A newly published report by The Daily Beast’s Adam Rawnsley details how Ras Al Khaimah used an Israeli private intelligence company to hack American and European citizens deemed enemies of the regime of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi. “ This is monstrous ,” said Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai , whose organisation was targeted in an elaborate hacking scheme by RAK last year. “ This is a government employing private sector spies to hack the communications of, and deceitfully obtain information from foreign citizens; citizens of countries who are allies of both the UAE and Israel. 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. ” Israeli intelligence firm BlueHawk CI was discovered to have perpetrated a series of attempts to gain access to information through trickery, false pretences, manipulation, and by the use of malware in order to help the government of RAK against American citizen Oussama El Omari and Swiss national Khater Massaad, who are both involved in lawsuits against Sheikh Saud and his agents. The hacking attempt against Radha Stirling, who is the leading Western critic of the UAE and whose organisation has campaigned for thousands of wrongfully detained and abused victims in the Emirates, is particularly troubling. “ They went to an inordinate amount of trouble to hack my personal communications, which would have given RAK access to confidential client information, personal details of victims, and the identities of everyone in our support network, with a very obvious intention of then targeting and persecuting those people. The regime in Ras Al Khaimah is charged with grave human rights violations including torture, false imprisonment, fabrication of evidence, threats and intimidation, endemic corruption; and the list goes on. They want to silence every voice that draws attention to their wrongdoing, and most of those voices belong to people interacting with my device ,” Stirling explained. RAK’s use of an Israeli company should alarm officials in Israel, Stirling noted, “The Abraham Accords were the product of American diplomacy. It does not sit well for the newly established peaceful ties between the UAE and Israel to be exploited to now commit espionage against American citizens.” - Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating Stirling has filed a report with the FBI over the incident and is pursuing all avenues for holding RAK and their agents accountable. She explained, “ This is not the first time RAK has been involved in hacking, nor is it the first time that Sheikh Saud has outsourced criminal activity to private sector agents. International US law firm Dechert is currently embroiled in allegations of torture committed on Saud’s behalf, Farhad Azima’s email account hacking resulted in litigation, and we have a list of multiple intelligence companies, law firms, journalists and PR agencies Saud relies upon to persecute his rivals and critics. The RAK government under Sheikh Saud, quite frankly, operates like a criminal organisation” Related Articles: - Israeli Snoop-for-Hire Posed as a Fox News Journalist for a Spy Operation (Adam Rawnsley at The Daily Beast) - RAK’s Volatile Dictatorship Unsafe for Investors (Detained in Dubai News desk) - Investor beware: Israelis face unique risks in the UAE (Radha Stirling, at The Times of Israel blog)

Detained in Dubai reports UAE's Israel-US hacking agent to FBI

A newly published report by The Daily Beast’s Adam Rawnsley details how Ras Al Khaimah used an Israeli private intelligence company to...

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Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai has written a letter to Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, enclosing a heart breaking plea from Russian businesswoman Bika Magomedova. Bika is suffering with cancer and needs a life saving hysterectomy, which she doesn’t have enough money to pay for in Dubai. Bika could get the operation done in Russia, but the Dubai authorities refuse to allow her to leave. As previously reported, Bika fell victim to the mismanagement and greed of Dubai Properties LLC, and lost everything she owned. Bika had successfully run a salon for 17 years and was trying to open a bakery in an upmarket area of Dubai called JBR. A string of unexpected extra costs were levied by Dubai Properties and their subsidiary Salwan LLC, caused Bika to lose her life savings and business, and forced her into getting a loan against the business. She was not allowed to open, even for one day before Salwan cancelled her lease. The stress had a devastating impact on her health and the episode left her in debt. She survives on tiny amounts of money doing freelance nails for women she knows, and has no chance of ever paying back the loan of around $30,000. Under Dubai debt law , this means she can never leave the country. Radha Stirling has written appealing to Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, to show some compassion and allow Bika to return to Russia for her surgery before it is too late. Bika’s only hope of living is if the Sheikh, who promotes himself as a champion for women’s rights, uses his power to allow her to leave the country. “This is a chance for Sheikh Mohammed to show the world his more compassionate side, as he has in other cases of injustice, like Jamie Harron ,” explains Radha Stirling. “He can save Bika’s life with a phone call if he decides to do so”. “Nothing can be gained by allowing this young woman to die. She is in debt through no fault of her own and has no chance of finding enough money to pay before she dies. “Dubai promotes itself as a safe and desirable hub for both tourism and business, and even if a human being’s life is not motivation enough on its own to make that call, the reputation of the country is also at stake. “Please act quickly, and give Bika a chance to live.”

Calls for Sheikh Mohammed to save Russian cancer victim’s life.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai has written a letter to Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, enclosing a heart breaking...

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The spotlight of the international media, human rights organisations, and western governments often falls upon the UAE, particularly in recent years. Attention, however, tends to focus on the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the smaller, lesser-known emirates are rarely scrutinised. Leading expert, Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai and founder of Due Process International , says the country’s northernmost emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, has been exploiting this lack of attention for years. Stirling’s involvement in several pivotal cases emerging from Ras Al Khaimah, and her own independent investigations into systemic corruption in the emirate led her to uncover details of suppressed information that portray Sheikh Saud as an erratic, paranoid, and vindictive despot who unabashedly misappropriates public funds to both enrich himself and finance personal vendettas against former allies and advisers. “ Shortly after coming to power by circumventing the standard succession process, Sheikh Saud engaged in a major purge of officials whom he suspected were loyal to his political rivals . He jailed and tortured whoever remained in the country, and the others he has pursued around the world via Interpol and court judgments issued by judges under his control. He seized the government budget after eliminating all the officials responsible for oversight, and has engaged in multiple illicit deals and illegal activities for his own profit, including likely violations of international sanctions against Iran . “By any definition, Sheikh Saud is unstable, both politically and personally. He does not enjoy the support of the population of Ras Al Khaimah, the major Arab tribes, but only retains the throne under the auspices of the government of Abu Dhabi, whom he has previously sought to betray by planning to build a secret oil pipeline to Iran. He was arrested in the United States for sexually assaulting a hotel maid in his room, and the woman later died under suspicious circumstances. This is a mafioso, not a head of state, and the corruption of his regime has spread through every sector of the government; from Customs officials, to police, to the judiciary.” Stirling is communicating with major international business institutions, ratings agencies, and governments to alert them to the dangers posed by Saud. “ It is unacceptable that wrongdoing on this scale can be ignored, and that foreign investors can continue to be misled about conditions in Ras Al Khaimah, ” She says, “ We understand that Fitch will be issuing a new assessment of RAK in the coming weeks , and we are urging them to tell the truth; Ras Al Khaimah under Sheikh Saud is not safe. Criminal actions by the government are reminiscent of Iraq under Saddam Hussein, and investors need to be aware. I have been involved in issues of human rights violations and legal abuse in the UAE for over 13 years, and nothing compares to the sheer magnitude of the malfeasance that defines Ras Al Khaimah.” Related Articles: - Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating - UK courts expose UAE hacking, forced confessions & torture - The King of Interpol Abuse

RAK’s Volatile Dictatorship Unsafe for Investors

The spotlight of the international media, human rights organisations, and western governments often falls upon the UAE, particularly in...

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Radha Stirling , CEO of Detained in Dubai , issued the following statement: “The UAE jailed a Jordanian activist in February, with a 10-year sentence, for criticising the government of Jordan over an increasingly iron-fisted crackdown on free speech and human rights in the country. Just over a month later, Jordan placed Prince Hamza bin Hussein (half-brother of the king) under house arrest for the same reason. While the ex-wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, herself a Jordanian princess, continues to pursue divorce and child custody hearings against the Dubai Ruler, fraught relations between the UAE and Jordan appear to be healing over a common interest in supporting regional authoritarianism. It seems in the Middle East, blood is not thicker than dictatorship. “Despite the ongoing family disputes between the royal families of Dubai and Jordan, Abu Dhabi’s imprisonment of 46-year-old Ahmed Etoum can only be interpreted as a gesture by the UAE government that zero tolerance will be extended to critics of any member of the Saudi Arabia and Emirates-led coalition of authoritarianism in the Middle East formed originally as an alliance against Qatar. Jordan had been seen as a somewhat noncommittal member of that group, continuing to solicit and receive financial assistance from Doha during the blockade, and the awkward row between Sheikh Mohammed and Princess Haya bint Hussein threatened to further weaken Jordan’s relationship with the UAE. However, Jordan’s use of the Covid-19 pandemic to broaden its security and intelligence controls, and to curtail civil liberties in the country demonstrated to the UAE that King Abdullah of Jordan remains, as the Clinton Administration said of Indonesian dictator Suharto in 1995, their “kind of guy.” “The house arrest of Prince Hamza, the former heir to the throne, reveals just how insecure the regime of King Abdullah has become, and the UAE government can surely relate. Recent years of high profile controversies in the Emirates; the escape, abduction and continued detention of Sheikh Mohammed’s daughter Princess Latifa, Princess Haya fleeing the country, the instability of Ras Al Khaimah Ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qassimi , and case after case of legal abuse scorching the UAE in the international media, not to mention the economic depression caused by the pandemic; have all made the UAE hyper-sensitive to criticism and inclined to double-down on support for like-minded tyrannies in the region. - Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating “We have consistently warned that the UAE has been cultivating an authoritarian nexus for years; whether that is by using weapons of finance to strong-arm foreign governments, or by abusing Interpol to expand the Emirates’ de facto jurisdiction through the issuance of Red Notices. The UAE is committed to building a network of authoritarian power in the Middle East and North Africa, and the conviction of Ahmed Etoum is a further reassertion of that commitment. If this conviction is not overturned by means of international intervention, we are likely to see similar cases in other members of the KSA-UAE coalition. Journalists may be jailed in Egypt for criticising Abu Dhabi; human rights activists in India may be convicted for speaking out against crackdowns in Saudi Arabia, and so on. This is an enormously dangerous development, and democratic governments around the world need to pay heed before entire regions fall under the control of a dictatorial alliance led by the UAE.” Related Articles: - The Runaway Princesses of Dubai (Town & Country, UK) - Justice for Jamal Khashoggi - Washington Post Journalist (Inside Arabia)

Etoum case proves blood is not thicker than politics in the Middle East

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, issued the following statement: “The UAE jailed a Jordanian activist in February, with a...

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A group of people have been rounded up by Dubai police after sharing videos on social media showing naked women posing on a balcony. The group have violated a number of laws and could face huge fines and years in jail. “The violations range from public decency and debauchery to violations under the UAE’s strict Cybercrime laws that prohibit the sharing of pornographic or offensive material”, said Radha Stirling , founder of Detained in Dubai who has represented numerous individuals charged under the same laws. Stirling continued, “When a violation like this occurs, the risk is that a large group may be rounded up by authorities, even if they had nothing to do with the crime. This could include friends nearby the incident, or those who received the widely circulated video. Anyone who has simply hit the share button on social media has violated the country’s Cybercrime laws and could face prosecution themselves. “Even if they are ultimately found innocent, they could be held for days, weeks or longer, until they are able to present their defence to a court. It’s important to note that even sharing the video in a private message or on WhatsApp will render them liable to prosecution. “In the past, people have been arrested for inappropriate attire, offensive t-shirts, privately shared lewd messages, pornography and nude photos. They have been arrested for forwarding messages and for sharing prohibited content on social media. “It’s important that visitors recognise that if a complaint is made or a violation is brought to the attention of authorities, they could be arrested, prosecuted, jailed and deported. “Others have been arrested for holding hands in public, kissing and other displays of affection and the UAE is very clearly, a country that will prosecute violations that are brought to their attention. The country can be confusing to tourists who see open displays of prostitution, gay clubs and drinking. On the surface, Dubai can appear to be a very modern party place where anything goes but as soon as a report is made to the police, the complaint will be taken seriously. “When police ignore so many violations, it can appear to visitors that the behaviour is welcome and this is something the city needs to address. The lack of strict enforcement does not make this behaviour legal”. Related articles: - Visitors to Dubai can be jailed under cybercrime laws - FREE TO GO Brit woman, 31, who faced two years in Dubai prison over ‘f*** you’ WhatsApp to flatmate allowed to leave with £600 fine (The Sun, UK)

Group detained in Dubai for sharing naked video

A group of people have been rounded up by Dubai police after sharing videos on social media showing naked women posing on a balcony. The...

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“Foreign Minister Heiko Maas abandons the German Dieter Kellouche in the Arab prison" 42 year old Dieter Kellouche has been sentenced to life in a UAE prison for “offending a Sheikh”, said Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai, who is representing him. “Dieter is currently locked up in prison in the strict Emirate of Sharjah, where his health and morale are failing. His Embassy has not visited him in over a year. He had no chance of proving his innocence when his accuser is a prominent Emirati royal and effectively owns the law enforcement and judicial system”. Jürgen Braun, human rights spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, issued a statement this week : “Foreign Minister Heiko Maas abandons the German Dieter Kellouche in the Arab prison. The Foreign Office has done nothing worth mentioning for Mr Kellouche. The answers to my questions are downright outrageous: The Foreign Office writes that it is following Mr Kellouche's case very closely and is in contact with him, that he is being looked after by the consular office, including visits to custody. Mr Kellouche, on the other hand, says the last visit by the German embassy was in February over a year ago. He feels abandoned, almost forgotten, by the German authorities. “What this person has been through the last few years is a nightmare. Kellouche told us that prisoners of other nationalities often received visits from embassy staff, and some have already been released. He, however, is also treated like a criminal by the German embassy. The Federal Foreign Office must finally take the initiative to end Dieter Kellouche's imprisonment.” (pic left: "Jürgen Braun calls for Foreign Minister to help German prisoner Dieter Kellouche" ) Stirling, whose group Detained in Dubai assists foreign nationals wrongfully detained in the UAE, added “The German government must use all diplomatic channels available to push for the release of their citizen. Australia, Canada, the United States, Malaysia and the UK have all stepped up for their citizens when they have been wrongfully detained. Germany, however, has failed in its duty of care to make representations to the UAE government on behalf of Dieter Kellouche. This sends a clear message to the country that they can abuse German nationals without recourse and puts German travellers at risk. Dieter has done nothing wrong and should not be detained a day longer. "We call on Foreign Minister Heiko Mass to urgently intervene" Radha Stirling interviewed Dieter's brother in a Gulf in Justice Podcast Episode. Related articles: - German Embassy “not visited me in more than a year” - Dieter Kellouche - German man has gone on hunger strike in Sharjah’s notorious prison, after being sentenced to life in prison at whim of Emirati royal - Man facing life sentence in UAE for 'upsetting Sheikh.' - Gulf in Justice Podcast: The Case of Dieter Kellouche - German man facing life sentence in UAE for 'upsetting Sheikh

Jürgen Braun calls out Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for “abandoning German national in Arab prison”

“Foreign Minister Heiko Maas abandons the German Dieter Kellouche in the Arab prison" 42 year old Dieter Kellouche has been sentenced to...

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The United Nations in its own right, may not have the influence or power to secure the freedom of a person who has been kidnapped or detained without due process. They may not be able to act to stop human rights violations or even torture, and they may be slow to process submissions. However, when combined with a campaign, litigation, media or all three, the United Nations can prove an effective tool. When Princess Latifa and Hérve Jaubert were abducted from a US yacht in international waters, Radha Stirling ensured that an urgent application was made to the United Nations Working Group for Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, the United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detention, the Human Rights Committee and the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Along with the media campaign launched by Detained in Dubai , the United Nations sent an urgent communication to Dubai expressing their concern for Princess Latifa. Hervé Jaubert was released within two weeks of his abduction and rendition. Stirling attended the United Nations in Geneva to present evidence of Sheikha Latifa’s abduction and provide her expert opinion on UAE human rights abuses, arbitrary detentions and torture. The United Nations, for three years, has pushed the United Arab Emirates to comply with requests for information, proof of life and have recently recommended Princess Latifa be freed from her father’s custody in Dubai. While the United Nations is only a piece of the puzzle and the UAE can choose to contest its rulings or ignore them, the UN provides an authoritative ruling in matters that may otherwise be swept under the carpet, denied or argued. The rulings help to legitimise claims and can indeed be used as evidence in subsequent litigation. The Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions recently ruled that India should release British National Christian Michel . They deemed Michel had been denied due process when the UAE extradited him to India in what appeared to be a ‘quid pro quo’ deal following India’s assistance in the apprehension of Princess Latifa. India is now under pressure to release Christian Michel and to address their role in the abduction of Jaubert and Latifa. Radha Stirling made submissions to the United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detention on behalf of British National Andy Neal, who had been detained in Dubai over false drugs allegations. Although the United Nations would have moved too slowly to effect his release, the submissions complemented the legal defence and media campaign. Neal was promptly exonerated and released. Similarly, Karam al Sadeq is detained in the UAE where he has been subjected to human rights violations in order to secure his false confession and witness statements. A United Nations application is pending, alongside an English High Court action and media campaign. Stirling is preparing an application for German national, Dieter Kellouche , who has been arbitrarily detained in the UAE at the whim of an influential Sheikh, who was able to circumvent due process in the emirate of Sharjah. Without Stirling’s diplomatic, legal, media and UN campaign, Kellouche would easily spend the rest of his life in prison. Prisoners are often advised that the best things they can do to help themselves is to remain quiet and pray for leniency, clemency or a pardon. This advice often deters people who would benefit from more proactive methods and sometimes it takes them years of detention to come to that realisation. It is important to take expert advice from the onset while remembering that most lawyers, embassies and diplomats have their own vested interests or are experts in a narrow field that won’t give them the experience to be able to advise properly. In short, the United Nations can be a useful mechanism to influence an outcome, but is insufficient to rely upon solely. Radha Stirling prepares submissions and represents clients at the United Nations, supports multi-jurisdictional litigations, criminal proceedings, provides expert testimony, media and campaign direction.

United Nations Complaints for wrongful imprisonment, arbitrary detention and human rights violations

The United Nations in its own right, may not have the influence or power to secure the freedom of a person who has been kidnapped or...

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Ras Al Khaimah has undeserved 5* rating from external ratings agencies like Fitch, but Due Process International is raising major issues to the agency in advance of their next review. It has already been a turbulent few years for the UAE; since the 2018 dramatic escape and capture of Princess Latifa , daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and her ongoing captivity, things have only gotten progressively worse. More royal scandals erupted, including the divorce and child custody battle between the Dubai Ruler and his wife, Princess Haya , following her own escape from the Emirates in 2019. However, Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling warns that a storm is approaching on the UAE’s northern shores as investigations into Ras Al Khaimah bring disturbing new information to light. “ We have been aware of serious wrongdoing and legal abuse by the government of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qassimi in Ras Al Khaimah for quite some time, but we have recently uncovered details about the regime that will completely shatter the UAE’s image internationally, and could profoundly alter American and European foreign policy towards the Emirates,” Stirling said . Ras Al Khaimah is a lesser known emirate in the UAE, less developed than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it has no oil and has sought to create a more diversified economy and to attract foreign investment to gain global relevance. Stirling explains that a current case led her organisation to take a closer look at RAK, and after over a dozen years dealing with injustice in the UAE, she said that even she was not prepared for the level of corruption she discovered. “ Sheikh Saud is currently persecuting Dr. Khater Massaad, the man who built RAK as an investment hub since the late 1990s. Though we have been involved in numerous cases connected to the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) and the Free Trade Zone, such as the grave human rights violations against Karam Al Sadeq and Jihad Quzmar , the slander and intimidation of American Oussama El Omari , and many other cases; when we looked into the situation of Dr. Massaad it opened up a wide labyrinthine web of corruption that resembles an organised crime outfit more than a government ,” Stirling explained. - NY Court orders damages for man targeted by UAE Sheikh & his US agents because he “knew too much” Khater Massaad is the former head of RAKIA who was driven out of his role following Sheikh Saud’s purge of all top investment officials after he assumed power. Massaad’s assets were frozen in Bangladesh as a result of a RAK court decision, despite the case having been earlier dismissed by Saudi Arabia for lack of evidence. Litigation is underway in England against Sheikh Saud over alleged human rights abuses against Al Sadeq and Quzmar, both former officials in RAK’s investment and finance sector. El Omari is suing RAK in the United States for a number of issues, including wrongful prosecution and Interpol abuse. - Prominent Swiss businessman has assets frozen and warns investors Without revealing the full details of what her organisation found, Stirling noted that the findings of previous independent investigations appear to have been suppressed. “ We are not just talking about wrongdoing committed on the orders of Sheikh Saud, like the alleged torture and intimidation by international law firm Dechert carried out on behalf of the government, we are talking about serious criminal conduct by Sheikh Saud himself, and the potential collusion of high-ranking American and international officials to hush-up the abuses and side-line investigations .” - Dechert faces US subpoena over human rights abuse allegations Stirling cautioned that investors and business people should not be misled by RAK’s positive ranking by ratings agencies like Fitch, saying that such appraisals will need to be seriously reassessed. “ RAK is not a stable destination for global capital, it is a despotic and dangerous place where the ruler has absolute control over the courts, zero accountability, and complete authority to breach contractual obligations, seize companies, detain and torture foreign citizens, and violate treaties. At a certain point, ratings agencies are going to have to be honest in their evaluation of RAK, for the sake of their own credibility with investors. There have always been problems with conflict of interest when a state or institution is paying an agency for an assessment because, of course, the agency knows the client wants a positive result, and that they are unlikely to commission future evaluations if they do not get what they want. RAK has been able to piggyback on the positive image of the UAE built largely by Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s trade and investment policies; but if it is assessed purely on its own merits, no reputable agency could deem RAK a friendly destination for foreign business people,” Stirling said , “We are reaching out to Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor with our concerns about RAK, and are urging them to make a more realistic assessment.” - UAE Sheikh receives Bangladeshi State Minister raising human rights issues Sheikh Saud’s abuse of power spans the globe, Stirling said, “ There is evidence of corruption, bribery, malicious hacking , extortion, arms trafficking, human trafficking, violation of international sanctions, sexual assault, and even a suspicious death. We are in communication with dozens of relevant officials, politicians, and institutions in the United States and Europe to alert them about our concerns and to convey the information we have uncovered. We will be releasing details in the coming weeks regarding both our findings and the steps we are taking to ensure that Sheikh Saud is properly investigated and subject to international accountability.” - 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 (Mail Online)

Human Rights Abuses & Corruption threaten RAK Fitch Rating

Ras Al Khaimah has undeserved 5* rating from external ratings agencies like Fitch, but Due Process International is raising major issues...

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