The dismissal of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, long-time chairman and chief executive of DP World, has been described as “the tip of the iceberg” by Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai and a recognised UAE country expert witness.
Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, has worked on more than twenty thousand UAE related cases over 18 years. She says focusing on one high profile figure risks obscuring what she characterises as a deeper, systemic problem.
“This is not about one executive,” Stirling said. “It is about a structure that has enabled abuse for years. Removing one man for his messages to Epstein does not dismantle that structure.”
Her organisation represented Hervé Jaubert, who was abducted from his US flagged yacht in international waters, taken to the UAE, beaten and threatened to be cut up into tiny pieces and scattered in the desert. Stirling also acted for Princess Latifa, who escaped Dubai and detailed years of abuse at the hands of her father, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his security apparatus.
British national Lee Bradley Brown died in custody after a violent beating. Grandfather and businessman Albert Douglas, represented by Stirling, was brutally assaulted in detention, sustaining broken bones and lasting trauma. Stirling took his case to the United Nations who ruled he had been arbitrarily detained, recommended compensation and referred him to the special rapporteur on torture.
“These are not rumours or third party accounts,” Stirling said. “These are our clients. We have the medical records, the photographs, the testimony. Businessmen who establish themselves in the UAE have no idea that they could end up tortured in prison just because they are successful”.
She points to repeated cases involving Western women who were raped by powerful employers, threatened with imprisonment, silenced through counter accusations and prevented from leaving the country. Domestic workers from poorer nations have been particularly vulnerable, but Western professionals have also been targeted. In some cases, victims attempting to report crimes found themselves facing prosecution instead.
The ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, faced FBI interrogation over a complaint regarding the sexual assault of a maid in the United States before expeditiously departing on a diplomatic aircraft. Stirling says such episodes reinforce a perception of impunity at the highest levels.
UAE Ruler, Sheikh Saud Al Qassimi accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in the States.
Stirling recalls other prominent Emiratis that been accused of trafficking underage teens to their Las Vegas hotels but notes there is little motivation for local authorities to investigate these high profile elites.
Beyond physical abuse, she highlights patterns of financial coercion. Foreign investors and businessmen, including Americans and Britons, have been detained in disputes that rapidly escalated into criminal proceedings. Assets have been frozen. Travel bans imposed. Pressure applied until families intervened or governments stepped in.
“In many cases, our clients would have rotted in prison without diplomatic intervention,” Stirling said. “There is a glossy image sold abroad, particularly in the US and the UK, of safety and prosperity. But beneath that surface is a system that can destroy lives.”
For Stirling, the dismissal of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem does not represent reform.
“It is theatre,” she said. “The international community should understand that the problem is systemic. Changing one name on a letterhead does not end torture, exploitation or arbitrary detention.”
According to Stirling, the dismissal of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem because of communications tied to Epstein may satisfy a political moment. But it should not distract from a broader reality.
“One figure linked to a global scandal loses his position and headlines follow,” she said. “Meanwhile, torture in detention, abuse of women, coercive prosecutions and arbitrary imprisonment continue as routine practice. If we care about justice, we should care about the thousands who never make the front page.”
About Detained in Dubai
Detained in Dubai is the leading international authority on UAE law, providing confidential legal assistance in both civil and criminal cases. Founded by Radha Stirling in 2008, the organization has helped over 25,000 victims of injustice in the UAE and broader Middle East, specializing in human rights, wrongful detention, Interpol abuse, and crisis management. For more information, visit www.detainedindubai.org.