A 63 year old London grandfather returned home after years in hellish Dubai prison where he was beaten, tortured and subjected to egregious human rights abuses. The successful entrepreneur was released after an intense campaign led by his son, Wolfgang Douglas, and Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai.
“In parallel with an intensive campaign to free this innocent grandfather, we applied to the United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detentions (UNWGAD). After reviewing all the evidence and testimony, they communicated with the UAE and ultimately ruled Albert had been arbitrarily detained”, reports Ms Stirling who also advanced Princess Latifa’s case before the United Nations in Geneva. “It’s an astonishing ruling. It basically means one of our biggest trade partners took one of our citizens and, despite his innocence, locked him up for years, beat him, broke his bones, kicked his head in, stole his money, assets and businesses then spat him out back to the UK and expects to just get away with it much like Saudi Arabia did after Khashoggi.”
Albert is determined not to let that happen. He knows British citizens have died in custody, that they’ve been beaten, broken, electrocuted and violated and that this cannot be allowed to continue. “Albert wants to make sure the UAE is held to account and that the failings of the FCDO and the UK government are brought to light”, says Stirling who was relieved to celebrate Albert’s return at Christmas.
“We are working to get justice for Albert. He has suffered greatly and we can not just allow it to continue”.
Albert was wrongfully accused of bouncing cheques that didn’t even belong to him. The charges were fabricated so his companies, which were doing very well, could be looted. His family was threatened and he and his son’s reputations were viciously shattered by the false claims and prolonged period of arbitrary detention from which he will never fully recover. “It is a plain and simple case”, says Stirling, “Albert and his son Wolfgang were targeted because of their success. I’ve said it for decades, success makes you vulnerable in Dubai. If someone wants to steal your assets and money, all they need to do is make a complaint at a police station. Due to the lack of judicial process and entrenched corruption within law enforcement, that is often all that is required. The UN has now cleared Albert and his son but it’s not enough. They are seeking real accountability.”
Stirling is pursuing a resolution with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and assisting Mr Douglas in the preparation of criminal, civil and regulatory complaints. Albert spoke to GB News about the suffering he experienced at the hands of authorities that were supposed to protect him. ‘I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else and to do that, I know I need to take it further than anyone else ever has”, Albert conveyed today. “I can not turn a blind eye like the British government has. Whenever I see an advertisement targeting entrepreneurs, business owners and skilled professionals, I can not just turn away. What if they are next? Our government failed to warn me and, even after learning every detail of my torture, continues to refuse to warn citizens now.
Albert Douglas feels a sense of responsibility to ensure this doesn’t happen to any other British family
“I will be calling on the government for their assistance in diplomatically pursuing the UN’s remedial recommendations, including compensation. I am reviewing and preparing lawsuits and criminal complaints with my legal team. What we have been through is utter hell and I refuse to just cower and let it happen to others”.
Stirling says there is precedent for the UK government pursuing other countries following arbitrary detention and torture. “The UK has previously negotiated and sought settlements following arbitrary detention and torture cases, especially in the Middle East. I hope the current administration sees the importance of ensuring accountability before we see another death in custody”.
Wolfgang Douglas, who was at the forefront of his father's campaign, said “The fight was considered impossible by most legal experts. As with many examples of financial entrapment, the UAE blocks and silences its victims to the point they are rendered incapable of defending themselves against a barrage of manipulated and triggering accusations. This in turn allows the UAE to evade accountability for its draconian so called legal process.”
Wolfgang is supporting his father’s determination to hold to account those in power who mistreated his family in such a brutal and devastating way.
