Mr Douglas Chapman, MP for Dumferline and West Fife visited the Qatar Embassy yesterday to hand deliver a letter. He was welcomed by Qatar’s Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Yousef Ali Al-Khater who Mr Chapman says “was very supportive”.
Mr Chapman raised the case of Brian Glendinning, a British national detained in Iraq over a Qatar National Bank (QNB) Interpol Red Notice.
In a letter to the Ambassador, Chapman explained that Glendinning had settled with QNB who agreed to withdraw the police case and extradition request. He advised Ambassador Al-Khater that the conditions in prison for Mr Glendinning were “dreadful” and requested Qatar expedite sending a diplomatic note to Iraq to release him without further complication.
Mr Chapman, MP left the Embassy to return to Parliament to deliver a similar letter to the new foreign secretary, James Cleverly, MP.
“Brian’s brother John and wife Kimberly were so thankful that Mr Chapman met the Ambassador in person”, reported Radha Stirling, who has been representing the Glendinnings. “We are truly grateful for the efforts Mr Chapman has made. This is exactly what is required in this kind of situation and is what the FCDO and James Cleverly should also be doing.
“We are hopeful His Excellency will be able to promptly execute the necessary communication to Iraq so that Brian can finally come home and recover from his terrible ordeal.”
Brian Glendinning has struggled for over two months in a rat infested cell where his family feared he would die. His wife Kimberly said “Brian’s the kind of person who never gets emotional, he doesn’t cry or show anything like that. But he’s been breaking down on the phone saying he doesn’t know if he’s going to survive this. He’s living on basically bread, he’s sharing a tiny cell with 40 other men. One of them openly admits to killing his own relative, and there’s Taliban fighters in the same cell, terrorists”.
Kimberly and the family are hopeful he will be released soon but understand that nothing is done “until it’s done”. “They try to keep Brian’s spirits up when he calls”, says Stirling. “They are always reminding him that everyone is supporting him on the outside and we’re all waiting to see him on the outside”.