Georgia Veteran appeals to Rep. Mike Collins and Senators Warnock & Ossoff to save him from Dubai
In the ongoing debates about veterans' rights and international diplomacy, a 52 year old US Navy veteran from Covington, Georgia, faces years in Dubai prison for travelling with his prescription medication including CBD oil and Ibuprofen. With major surgery scheduled in Georgia next month, Charles and his family are desperate to get him home.
Successful Precedents:“Senator JD Vance and his team successfully brought home Ohio residents.
“Senator JD Vance and his team successfully brought home Ohio residents and Air Force Veteran Joseph and his brother Joshua Lopez after just a few weeks of being called on for help. We hope Rep. Mike Collins and Mr Wimberly’s Senators can do the same for him”, says crisis manager and Detained in Dubai CEO, Radha Stirling, who is helping the family. “Charles risks years in prison for unintentionally traveling with his prescription medication, a decision he deeply regrets. He doesn’t deserve to be put behind bars or even kept in the UAE. He needs surgery and ongoing medical care, something the Emirati authorities will absolutely not provide. He suffers chronic pain from a degenerative structural issue and his 20 years in the Navy has left him with PTSD. He needs the help of his representatives in Georgia.
“We hope he can be home with his daughter and family members for his surgery and the November Presidential election. When someone has given so much to their country, it’s a relief for them to be helped by their State representatives. The Lopez brothers were overwhelmed with daily calls from Senator Vance’s office and assistance from the US government.
Appeal to Dubai Ruler, HH Sheikh Mohamed Al Maktoum
“We appeal to the Dubai police and the ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohamed Al Maktoum, to allow Mr Wimberly to return home and receive the surgical care he desperately needs”.
Mr Wimberly confessed,“My PTSD is at a very high level right now... I’m so tired of crying... I can’t stop shaking. My daughter is so upset… I feel like I’ve let everyone down.”
Daughter Candis Wimberly speaks out
Candis Wimberly describes her father as “the funniest person on this planet”. She told the Atlanta Black Star that family members have been trying to contact as many politicians as possible to help her father.
Charles pleaded, “I’m hurting because I served my country, and I just want to go home.” Wimberly says he speaks to family members every day, including his father, who spent 30 years in the Army, and his brother, who spent 24 years in the Air Force, but there is not much anybody can do since he is subject to UAE laws.
Stirling added, “We are doing everything we can to help Charles get home and be reunited with his family. Cases like these have broader implications for international relations and the travel industry.
Risky Travel in the UAE
We urge the government of Dubai to intervene and to consider asking airlines to send pre-travel advice to holidaymakers when they book their flights. We have been involved in the arrests of numerous American tourist cases involving CBD and even residual traces of marijuana consumed legally in other countries before flying as it remains in the blood for weeks - months.
We also see members of the LGBT community flying to ‘party’ in Dubai after being wrongfully told the laws pertaining to homosexuality are not enforced.
Americans should be warned about leaving negative online reviews for hotels, car agencies and other service providers as well as their own social media history which will undoubtedly violate local laws. The UAE is increasing in popularity as a tourist destination, but more needs to be done to warn visitors of the dangers and the shambolic legal system that awaits”.
Navy veteran faces years in Dubai prison after being accused of 'trafficking' his own prescription medication | Daily Mail Online
Charles Wimberly, 52, went on holiday in the United Arab Emirates with friends, but was stopped at security on his way home to Georgia and thrown in jail. Now he will wait months for a court date.
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