Free Albert Douglas

The inquest into the death of Lee Bradley Brown heard that the number of new cases of Britons reporting torture or mistreatment in Dubai to the Foreign Office had surged from 3 per cent of the global total to 13 per cent in just four years, but “that is only the tip of the iceberg”, explained Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai who has advocated for victims since 2008.

Grandfather Albert Douglas has been held as an economic hostage in Dubai. He has been beaten, tortured and denied his medication, but the FCDO says “torture in itself is not grounds for a clemency application”.

The UK claimed Albert was their “top diplomatic priority” but the frail grandfather who is currently living in prison with broken bones has seen no change in his situation. “Yes, Dubai medics have confirmed that he was beaten and that he suffers permanent disability as a result” Albert’s son Wolfgang explains, “he has been seen by someone claiming to be a Dubai human rights officer but how does this help him? He’s still in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, is still living with broken bones as a result of being beaten by guards and there is no clear path to his release. This is insufficient and the British government must do more to help him”.

While Ryan Reynolds and various other celebrities take money from Dubai to promote this year’s expo, the more sinister side of the Emirates is being seriously exposed. No amount of celebrity or influencer endorsement can possibly make the past decade’s blood stains look like wine.