DETAINED IN DUBAI’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
On the 30th of January, Detained in Dubai celebrated its 15th anniversary in London with friends, clients and members of the media and legal community. It was truly an honour to have so many wonderful people join us for such a special occasion and we thank everyone for their support.
Lord Clement Jones has advocated for British citizens wrongfully detained abroad. We were privileged to hear his powerful words of support for Dubai prisoners and for our organisation’s work. His Lordship has tirelessly advocated for Ryan Cornelius, Charles Ridley and has now come to learn about Albert Douglas, who shares a cell with Ryan and Charles. "We are truly grateful to have the support of an esteemed member of the House of Lords", added Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai.
Albert’s son Wolfgang passionately told the harrowing story of his father’s wrongful detention and torture, a shocking representation of what lies behind the “glamorous” tourist destination. "Wolfgang has been tirelessly advocating for his innocent father's release from Dubai jail. He will never give up, we love his passion and we love him," said Ms Stirling.
John Glendinning arrived from Scotland, delivering an emotional speech after his brother Brian was released from an Iraqi prison. He was held over a small Qatar bank debt. In celebrating Brian’s release, we were reminded that others like Hussein Yactine remain locked up in foreign jails over small bank debts, a violation of Interpol’s charter.
Brian has been desperately trying to help former cellmate, Hussein, get home. Stirling was elated to finally meet John in person after spending day and night on the phone to him during Brian's incarceration,"It was an absolute pleasure to work intensely with Brian's family to secure his freedom but as Brian says, there are still dozens of people detained abroad and the fight goes on. I look forward to seeing Brian and his family in Scotland later this year. They are forever my friends".
Many attendees were unaware of some of the horrendous cases Detained in Dubai has seen over the years. Veteran Perry Coppins spoke of the time he spent in prison and how it has subsequently impacted his life. Perry was locked up for prescription medicine, until a kind doctor told him to call “Detained in Dubai”. “I was out three days later”, he told the room.
Radha has been friends with Perry ever since his release. "It was so good to see Perry in person again. His experience in the UAE had a terrible impact on his life. His story was very emotional for those who had only heard it for the first time."
