Months long ordeal came to an end today when Tierra boarded a flight home. Allen has been banned from returning to Dubai. She paid a 5,000 AED fee to police to lift the travel ban so she could leave.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, announced today that Tierra Allen's (@SassyTrucker) travel ban has been lifted and she has boarded a flight to the United States.
Dubai police accepted a 5,000 AED deposit to lift Allen’s travel restrictions, Stirling reported, “We are very happy to announce that Tierra has safely boarded a flight to the United States.”
Yesterday, Allen attended the police station and the travel ban, which had kept the American social media influencer trapped in the UAE since May, was finally removed.
"Tierra's release is a testament to the power of international advocacy and the importance of standing up for human rights," said Radha Stirling. "We are grateful to US consular officials, Senator Cruz and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for their support for Tierra and their efforts to raise awareness about her case. Their help was instrumental in securing Tierra's release. This case highlights, once again, the crucial role played by the media, and by the public, in demanding accountability and justice in the UAE. Tierra was living a nightmare and facing fines and lengthy imprisonment, until her case was brought into the spotlight of international media scrutiny. Without that attention, all too often, Emirati authorities pay little heed to due process, fairness, and human rights."
Tierra's case gained international attention after she was arrested and detained in Dubai for "screaming in public" following a car accident. She had been held in the UAE for several months, and her passport was confiscated. The case against Tierra showed the limits of speech in the United Arab Emirates, and it sparked outrage among human rights activists and the international community. "Tierra's case highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the UAE's legal system," said Stirling. "We hope that the UAE authorities will take steps to ensure that foreign nationals are treated fairly and that their rights are protected."
Detained in Dubai is the leading advocacy organization that provides assistance to individuals who have been detained or arrested in the UAE. The organization has been advocating for Tierra's release and has been working to raise awareness about her case. "Tierra's case is a reminder that foreign nationals in the UAE are still routinely targeted, and that the legal system is used against them maliciously by locals to extort and intimidate them precisely because they are vulnerable and enjoy no substantial legal protections,” said Stirling.
She also expressed her hope that UAE officials will take better care to not allow cases like this to escalate in the future, and will improve in their responsiveness to legitimate intervention on behalf of unjustly charged and detained foreign nationals. “Tierra’s case has dealt a serious blow to Dubai’s image in the West, and particularly in the United States,” Stirling explained, “Every effort to resolve her ordeal had been met with either denial or escalation, but never resolution, until now. The police changed their story regarding the charges against her as soon as her case hit the headlines; falsely claiming that Tierra had been verbally abusive, when initially they only stated that she had raised her voice. Eventually a civil case was filed against her in what appeared to be a ‘doubling-down’ by police officials. But when all these attempts at intimidation failed, and public pressure mounted, authorities relented. This has become a pattern we are very familiar with after over 15 years of experience advocating for the wrongfully accused in the UAE. There is always initial pushback from the authorities, but eventual concession if attention and intervention are persistent. Ideally, the UAE would forego the resistance in these clearly illegitimate cases, and move directly to resolution; but every win gives us hope that progress is being made.”
While it is unclear whether or not the criminal charges against Tierra Allen, and the civil suit against her, will be dismissed; for the time being, it is a significant victory that she will be going home after her long ordeal. She has been told by airport immigration officials that she is banned from returning to the UAE but the 29 year old influencer told Stirling “I was never thinking twice about coming back. I was so stressed every day”. Even at the airport, she was pulled aside by immigration. “I was so scared. I thought they were sending me to jail”. Stirling replied,“the real relief comes when the plane leaves the tarmac”. An hour before takeoff, Tierra received a voice message from Dubai Courts, advising her that a travel ban would be issued against her if she did not settle the rental car agency's civil claim by 10:00am tomorrow. Tierra's mother, Tina, told Stirling “the amount of stress, the suspense, down to the last minute seems unreal. I've been up all night. I won't be able to relax until the flight leaves”.
Last minute concerns as Tierra races to leave the Emirates
Tierra's flight departed Dubai at 14:30 local time but for many people who experience such traumatic situations, recovery can take a long time.
Detained in Dubai, and Stirling’s affiliated organisations, Due Process International and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition Reform), have also led the effort combating abuse of the Interpol Red Notice system, successfully removing thousands of clients from the international policing database who have been wrongfully listed, and providing preventative services to protect individuals from being subjected to abusive Red Notices.
“We will continue to support Tierra,” Stirling said, “The UAE has a habit of convicting foreign nationals in absentia, and issuing civil judgments against them, followed by the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice. So, we will be vigilant in ensuring that she will not be subjected to further persecution by the UAE in the form of Interpol abuse. We are cognizant of the fact that her release could merely be a damage control tactic by the Emiratis to avoid continued media fallout from Tierra’s case, and that they may still pursue the charges in her absence; but we are well-equipped to respond if that is the case.”
Press: Tierra will take a few days to recover then will happily share her story. Contact Radha Stirling with media enquiries.