Free Albert Douglas

British investors have warned businesses and investors to avoid Dubai Expo over human rights concerns. “It is impossible for investment ambassadors to promote the UAE without criticism, while there are very serious incidences of human rights abuses against foreign nationals, especially investors, in Dubai”, said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Gulf Investment Monitor. “Over the past decade, investors have been targeted by authorities, by the government and by private individuals who would rather persecute the foreigner, than see them actually profit from their investment”. Stirling is an expert witness who has helped in numerous cases involving the targeting of innocent British investors and entrepreneurs. “It is absolutely abysmal to see Dubai’s proceeds from the theft of British investments, being used to market the centre to more future victims. Dubai hides behind a facade, covered up by glitzy events and public relations endeavours, but the truth is, successful investors are at great risk of being targeted as a means to misappropriate their wealth. The consequences include wrongful detention, forced confessions, human rights violations and even torture. “We have seen it in the case of Safi Qurashi, the man who bought Great Britain in the Dubai World project. We’ve seen it with Ryan Cornellius, with Marcus Lee and now, we’re seeing it live with Albert Douglas”. “Albert is a sixty year old grandfather who has been detained in Dubai over bounced cheques he didn’t write and for a company’s debts that he didn’t own. André Gauthier was held for six years before being completely exonerated, but abuse still continues. Albert has been denied his heart medication, beaten and forced to drink from a toilet forcet. Why? Because he was seen as a wealthy entrepreneur to be looted and milked”. The UAE Ambassador to the UK agreed to discuss the issues in “Autumn”, but said he was “shocked” to hear allegations of torture. Stirling responded, “the UAE’s Ambassador can not be shocked to hear allegations of human rights abuses, not when we have seen a death in custody, multiple United Nations allegations, Matthew Hedges’ lawsuit and the British courts refusing extradition based on torture. The UAE has attacked a US yacht in international waters, kidnapped a princess from UK soil, and is known for harbouring criminals, for money laundering and Iran sanction violations. The Ambassador’s response rings like MBS saying ‘he had no idea’ about Khashoggi’s execution. “We have written to the UK UAE Business Council and investment groups, as well as Lord Udny-Lister to advise them of these serious and well documented risks to investors and of their complicity in promoting a country to British citizens who affords no protection”. “The British government and foreign office has done nothing to help my father”, said Wolfgang Douglas, who is devastated that his father may die in prison. Albert’s wife hand delivered an emotional plea to Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. Albert’s family has called for the boycotting of Dubai Expo, lobbying in front of Parliament last week, “Do not invest in a country or be involved in the promotion of a country who would treat British citizens as worthless animals to be used, robbed and discarded. The legal system offers no protection. The courts won’t even hear evidence of innocence and won’t bother to conduct forensics that would exonerate their target”, said Wolfgang Douglas, Albert’s son. Albert’s detention has attracted a significant amount of support with Baroness Whitaker and Andy Slaughter, MP calling for increased travel warnings and sanctions against the UAE for the ongoing inhumane treatment of British nationals abroad. Hundreds of British nationals have criticised the FCDO for turning away from their own countrymen in favour of a more profitable relationship with the Gulf nation. “This has to stop”, added Wolfgang. “How many more citizens do we need to see beaten, tortured or killed, before prominent names like Lord Udny-Lister stop promoting the country. The UK government must stand up for Albert or else we are giving the green light to abuse individuals whose lives seem to mean nothing in that country. My father loved the UAE and worked very hard, but the more successful you become, the more at risk of abuse you are. Investors need to know that the UAE is the riskiest place in the world to do business. “Please do not support the Dubai Expo. Supporting Dubai’s expo will put people’s lives at risk”.

Andy Slaughter, MP slams FCDO & calls for UK government action on the Gulf in Justice Podcast with Radha Stirling Andy Slaughter discusses how human rights are being overlooked with UAE trade deals being prioritised by the British government. “It’s something that should really worry the government very much. It’s very difficult not to conclude that a blind eye is being turned because of the advantages. It could be trade and commerce, it could be defence but that should not trump the human rights of the individual citizens”. In a letter to Foreign Minister, Rt Hon. Dominic Raab, Slaughter and Baroness Whitaker, MP called for an increase in travel warnings and potential sanctions for human rights violations committed against British citizens like Albert Douglas. Grandfather Albert Douglas was detained in Dubai over his son’s business debts, something that Radha Stirling, regional expert and host of Gulf in Justice, explains is very common in the UAE. Detained in Dubai’s client Morag Koussa, a British national, was released last year after being held for her estranged husband’s bank debts. Albert Douglas, in a recorded phone call from prison, testified as to human rights violations, torture and the deprivation of much needed heart medication. Yet, the British government has not made the effort to request an inquiry into his unfair detention. Stirling, an Expert Witness in extradition cases, confirms that British courts refuse to extradite to the UAE based on ‘the real risk of human rights violations, unfair trials and torture’. “So why has the UK not reflected these High Court rulings in their travel warnings to British nationals?”. Slaughter calls out the FCDO “If we have this good relationship with the UAE, why are we not using that relationship to put pressure on the UAE, especially with British nationals”. What is clear from this episode of Gulf in Justice, is that the UK is increasingly dependent on the UAE as a trade partner and a significant investor into UK infrastructure and private business. The UAE has paid its way to influence policy at the highest levels in the UK and the US which is putting individuals at increased and significant risk of grave violations. www.gulfinjustice.news

Promoting the UAE to British investors and tourists is putting UK citizens at risk, according to criminal justice specialist and CEO of Detained in Dubai Radha Stirling, who called this week upon Downing Street Chief of Staff Lord Udny-Lister to support enhanced FCO travel warnings against the Emirates, and to reassess the relationship between the two countries. “Concerns over the increasing frequency and severity of abuse suffered by British citizens in the UAE have recently led Baroness Janet Whitaker and Andy Slaughter, MP to call on Rt Hon. Dominic Raab, MP to increase FCO travel warnings to the UAE, as well as open discussions on possible sanctions against the country, particularly in light of the ongoing case of Albert Douglas, who was arrested for crimes he did not commit and has been subjected to human rights violations and beatings in the UAE,” Stirling said in a formal letter to the high-powered special adviser to the Prime Minister and Member of the House of Lords. Baroness Whitaker concurred in her own letter to Udny-Lister, “I have reviewed case after case, from Lee Bradley Brown, killed in Dubai police custody, to British war veteran Andy Neal, an entrepreneur falsely accused and jailed in the UAE for over a year, to several instances of UK citizens who fell victim to property scams perpetrated by the biggest development companies in the Emirates; the conclusion is clear: the UAE is not safe for British nationals.” The Albert Douglas case has galvanised the British public and intensified scrutiny of the UAE’s treatment of British citizens, even stirring protests, marches, and petitions to condemn the Gulf state for its increasingly despotic behaviour. “It is simply irresponsible of the British government to continue allowing the UAE to promote itself as a safe destination for investment and tourism,” Stirling explained, “Cases of wrongful detention, forced confession, fabricated evidence, torture and serious human rights violations are becoming both more frequent and more severe. If the idea has been that maintaining friendly relations with the UAE would gradually lead to improvements in the local justice system, it has been a spectacular failure. How many more innocent British citizens are going to be defrauded, arrested, beaten, subjected to torture and life-shattering trauma; how many more will have their life’s savings devoured by state-sanctioned scamsters; how many more British investors and business people will have their companies liquidated at the hands of ruthless Emirati partners, before the UK recognises that this is not a mutually beneficial relationship?” Stirling also drew attention to the potentially coercive influence of UAE investment in Britain, “We would strongly suggest the UK carefully examine the nature, extent, and ramifications of Emirati investment in Britain, which we believe is fundamentally intended by the UAE to influence UK policy towards the Emirates,” she cautioned in her letter to Lord Udny-Lister. The UAE recently struck a deal with the British government that would see Abu Dhabi pump roughly £5 billion into the UK across multiple sectors including health, energy, and infrastructure. The agreement has been characterised by some as a post-Brexit bribe to boost Prime Minister Boris Johnson during Britain’s current economic difficulties, which have been further complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The UAE has never been held sufficiently accountable for the death in custody of Lee Bradley Brown 10 years ago, and we have only seen their impunity expand over the past decade,” Stirling said, “Economic interests mustn’t be allowed to take priority over the safety of our citizens, and the UAE has made it clear time and again that Britons can and will be preyed upon in the Emirates without the slightest fear that such abuse would have ramifications for the UK-UAE relationship. We are urging the government to seriously re-examine our relations with the UAE, increase the FCO warnings about the risks faced by Britons if they invest in, or travel to the Emirates, and to finally begin holding the UAE accountable for its breaches of human rights and disregard for the rule of law.” www.detainedindubai.org

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. 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.

Alfie Best and Wolfgang Douglas speak in London at a demonstration to Free Albert Douglas, grandfather who has been detained in Dubai.

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 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.

Detained in Dubai's Radha Stirling, highlights the broken FCO as Jamie Harron, Laleh Shahravesh, Albert Douglas, John Murply and Matt Hingley recall their experiences with the UK in the UAE.

Gulf in Justice Podcast with Radha Stirling - Shocking interview with Wolfgang Douglas on the #FreeAlbert campaign Shocking interview with Wolfgang Douglas reveals Albert Douglas has been suffering a dislocated shoulder since being beaten in a UAE prison. After extensive campaigning and complaints to the British government, Albert was finally seen by a medical professional who was “stunned” that he had not been to hospital. Albert was told that he would need surgery to mend his broken shoulder but that surgery wouldn’t take place for another several months. This comes on top of his dizzy spells, his vision problems and the denial of his heart medication. “He’s laid there for the last six months in pain from the beatings, despite being 100% categorically innocent”, explains Wolfgang. The prosecution told Albert “we know you’re not guilty, but this is Dubai”. All of this is happening in a country that the UK goes out of its way to promote, even covering up human rights violations. Wolfgang tells of his trouble with the British FCDO who he says have perpetuated the lies told by the UAE in respect of Albert having been denied his medication. Detained in Dubai CEO and Gulf in Justice host Radha Stirling highlights corruption within the UAE judiciary, noting that Albert and his family have been targeted by police, by Sheikhs and by expats and lawyers seeking money to get him free. “When they become successful, they become a target. This is an ongoing issue in the UAE, that when someone is imprisoned, a lot of people will come forward to the family and ask them for money who then just keep the money. He’s become prey to a system that allows for that, and then we have people like Lord Udny-Lister in the UK, promoting the country as a safe place to invest. He is not even mentioning that so many investors in the UAE have ended up scapegoated or victimised. It’s not like the UK where you’re afforded a fair trial and where you can defend yourself and prove your innocence. “When people visit the UAE, they expect an equivalent glitzy, glamorous legal system to match the 7 star hotels. Albert had faith that he would be able to prove his innocence. He had all of the evidence to do so but wasn’t even afforded the chance. He couldn’t get a judge to look at it beyond 5 minutes.” Albert Douglas had been a huge supporter of the UAE from the beginning. Wolfgang has made it a mission to warn investors and businesses of the real risks Dubai poses. “For a little bit of money, you risk your humanity and your life”. Listen to the Gulf in Justice Podcast before you go to Dubai.

Albert Douglas's son, Wolfgang, has sent hundreds of letters to Ambassadors, Consular officials and MP's to raise his father's devastating abuse. This open letter describes some of the horrific treatment the family has received from the British and UAE government. Dear Jack, It really is a travesty of justice Jack. I have countless (more the 100+ emails) that are all similar in nature with repeated contradictions by the FCO, some knowingly in contradiction of basic facts and some of them contradictory to their own statements as made from their own previous emails etc. It’s somewhat crazy to think that such an inexperienced and callous person like Mr Ahmed Ahmet could be put in charge of a persons life and then treat it like a 9 to 5 when facing dire circumstances like that surrounding my fathers unjust innocent detention, this is before they then even consider his total lack of human rights provided as experienced in reality, his beatings and abuse by the hand of the UAE authorities as a British citizen. He has been terribly mistreated and unfairly convicted in his innocence in order to be extorted and corruptly taken advantage of by the many “wasta“ locals that have successfully managed to ruin him now financially and physically as a result. What a shame on us for not being able to protect him from such injustice as he continues to suffer in silence. Unfortunately my father regularly says at this point he would be better off dead, as god only knows what worse fate awaits home as he will continue to endure in those prisons where human life has such little value and he can be moved into worse ambers, worse prisons or worse circumstances at any time of complaints at a drop of hat in a place where torture or even death goes totally unnoticed by anyone on the outside and never reported on locally as a rule of law. What most people forget, he was directly threatened by the UAE prison authorities on the real life reality’s of what they would do to him if we went public “as we already have”, with the atrocities that he witnessed in the Al Ain Prison, Bur Dubai prison and in the UAE custody in general. He was told by the prison guards directly that they would beat him to death, and that at some point he will have to return to their custody as part of their process, even if he is successful in deportation they apparently will be waiting. Can you imagine the fear after he himself was beaten, himself was abused into forced inhumane situations, and on top of what he saw of others being treat even worse than that. He genuinely fears for his life, he lays in pain mostly, especially after you consider how’s he’s been forcefully Interrogated several times over by very senior plain cloths ministry police officers in mid night metal shock sessions on the back of Daily Mail reports and other news agencies etc about his witness statements of abuses within the UAE prison system which are all 100% true. He was threatened about going public, he was abused terribly during the whole process with NO protection from the U.K. government whatsoever. I believe that only the fact that we went so public, and how I’ve never stopped fighting the FCO & embassy every step of the way to provide any kind of presence or support, I believe is the only reason he is not hurt as badly as he could have been or dead. The truth is that Dubai is a corrupt and lawless state where rules don’t apply to their (Emirati) actions however unlawful and 99.9% of the time they all get away with it so they have literally nearly no fear of reprisals from the outside. My father is categorically innocent and left to rot with one excuse after another. It’s just sickening to think a British citizen can have this happen with so much knowledge of his circumstances and no one will save him. Our last meeting was cut short as felicity looked uneasy and wanted to go to another meeting half way into our scheduled time we discussed, I would of loved to explain in detail to felicity for her knowledge about all of the abuses and terrible injustices that the UAE and even U.K. FCO have managed to fumble this on. My father is a human being and he genuinely is being abused as a British citizen. Pls pls help him. I have also attached some recent videos that we are currently making public. I have several others from senior people that will be airing too hopefully soon. Pls do some research into this and let me know what we can do next. Andy Slaughter MP / Radha Interview: https://detained-in-dubai.prowly.com/149411-andy-slaughter-mp-criticises-fcdo-calls-for-uk-government-action-on-the-gulf-in-justice-podcast-with-radha-stirling Wolfgang / Radha Interview: https://detained-in-dubai.prowly.com/151466-gulf-in-justice-podcast-with-radha-stirling-shocking-interview-with-wolfgang-douglas-on-the-freealbert-campaign