[February 6, 2025. By Jabel Nasser for Eurasia Review]
Radha Stirling is a British lawyer and human rights advocate specializing in legal affairs in the Middle East. She is the founder of Detained in Dubai, Due Process International, and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) Reform—organizations dedicated to safeguarding human rights and reforming international legal frameworks. Throughout her career, she has handled high-profile international cases, including that of Sheikha Latifa, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler, and numerous contentious extradition proceedings.
Extradition: A Legitimate Tool or a Vehicle for Political Pressure?
Ms. Stirling, in light of recent executive orders by U.S. President Donald Trump to tighten immigration policies and expedite deportations, how do you assess the impact of these measures on global extradition practices?
Radha Stirling: President Trump’s executive orders, signed early in his second term, undeniably prioritize stricter immigration enforcement and accelerated deportations. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between deportation and extradition. Deportation applies to individuals who violate immigration laws, while extradition is a formal legal process transferring an accused or convicted person between jurisdictions.
When states fast-track deportations and extraditions, they often sidestep proper judicial oversight, resulting in grave human rights abuses. This is particularly alarming in nations where courts are vulnerable to government interference, such as the UAE, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, and Russia.
Politically Motivated Extraditions: The Case of Uzbek Businessman Ulugbek Shadmanov
Could you provide examples of secret extraditions being exploited for asset seizure or political agendas, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia?
Radha Stirling: Absolutely. We have seen numerous incidents of wrongful Interpol Red Notices and extradition requests for financially and politically motivated reasons.
Dr Khater Massaad was the CEO of RAK Ceramics and has had to fight off seven abusive Interpol warrants and extradition requests that were made to steal his company. Both Bangladesh and the UAE worked in unison to try to misappropriate his assets. I recently defended Sherif Osman from a politically motivated extradition request made by Egypt for a legal online post he made from the US.
Another recent example is the extradition of businessman Ulugbek Shadmanov from the UAE to Uzbekistan. Shadmanov, who headed United Cement Group—Central Asia’s largest cement conglomerate—was forcibly detained in Dubai without due process, imprisoned, and then covertly extradited to Tashkent aboard an undisclosed private jet.
His legal team asserts that the charges against him are politically driven, designed to strip him of his assets. Shadmanov himself faces risks of torture and unlawful asset confiscation. This case epitomizes how extradition and imprisonment are weaponized to silence dissenting entrepreneurs and expropriate their wealth. Such practices tarnish Uzbekistan’s appeal to international investors and set a dangerous precedent.
Sheikha Latifa: The Dubai Ruler’s Daughter Who Tried to Escape
Your work gained global attention after you took up the case of Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai’s ruler. Can you elaborate on this?
Radha Stirling: This remains one of the most shocking cases of state-sponsored abduction. In 2018, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, daughter of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed, attempted to flee the UAE, fearing lifelong confinement and mistreatment. She crossed into Oman and legally boarded the US flagged yacht Nostromo. She was in international waters when her yacht was intercepted by UAE and Indian operatives and forcibly repatriated to Dubai.
Prior to her escape, Latifa recorded a video detailing her life under constant surveillance, abuse by her family, and her desperation for freedom. I published the video and it went viral, triggering global condemnation. We enlisted the intervention of the UN and international pressure, but UAE authorities dismissed concerns, claiming she was “safe at home,” which was later ruled by a British judge in the UK divorce proceedings of Sheikh Mohamed and Princess Haya to be untrue. The UN continued to monitor Princess Latifa’s welfare and the UAE was forced to cooperate.
This case lays bare the repressive reality beneath Dubai’s glossy facade. If a royal family member is denied basic freedoms, imagine the plight of ordinary citizens and expatriates.
Britons Trapped in the UAE’s Legal System
Beyond politically motivated extraditions, your organization also defends ordinary individuals caught in legal traps in the UAE. What are some of the most striking cases?
Radha Stirling: Yes, we don’t just handle political cases—we also assist foreign nationals who have been arrested on dubious charges.
One example is Billy Hood, a British national sentenced to 25 years in prison in the UAE for possessing bottles of CBD oil in his car—a substance legal in the UK but strictly prohibited in the Emirates.
Then there’s the case of Ellie Holman, a British dentist who was arrested in Dubai simply for having a glass of wine on an Emirates flight. Authorities used this as a pretext to detain her, citing “alcohol in her bloodstream,” even though it was offered by the airline itself.
Numerous US and UK citizens have been unfairly detained for allegations ranging from leaving negative online reviews to sharing charities on Facebook or sometimes as a means to extort them. These cases highlight the serious risks foreigners face in the UAE. People often don’t realize that beneath the glossy image of luxury and modernity, the country’s legal system can be harsh, unpredictable, and deeply flawed.
How Can We Stop Politically Motivated Extraditions?
What steps must be taken at the international level to prevent the abuse of extradition mechanisms?
Radha Stirling: There are three critical reforms that must be implemented:
First, Interpol Reform. Governments currently exploit Red Notices to target dissidents and business figures. There needs to be stricter oversight and vetting of extradition requests. They also need to be stripped of their immunity to allow victims a legal pathway to hold them accountable for abuse.
Second, mandatory Risk Assessments. No country should extradite an individual if they face a credible risk of torture, persecution, or an unfair trial.
Third, transparency and judicial independence. Extradition decisions must not be made in secrecy, without legal counsel, or without scrutiny from independent international experts.
“My Mission Is to Protect Those Without a Voice”
You’ve been working on these cases for years. What drives you to keep fighting?
Radha Stirling: Having dealt with more than 20,000 cases over the past 17 years, I have witnessed far too many lives destroyed by injustice.
I have spoken to people who were tortured, threatened, and had their families targeted. I have seen businessmen lose their companies, assets, and freedom. I have watched victims of abuse be falsely accused of crimes they never committed.
If I had just one case where I could stop this injustice, it would be worth it. But there are dozens, even hundreds, of such cases. And as long as extradition is weaponized for repression, I will not stop fighting.
Author: Jabel Nasser
Original article: at Eurasia Review
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