Human rights organisation Detained in Dubai today called for the immediate safeguarding of Ryan John Michael Pepper, a British father of young children from Ashford, Kent, held in Sharjah CID detention for many months with severely limited family contact.
Ryan has pre-existing health concerns, including previous head surgery and ongoing heart concerns. The family has received alarming reports of mistreatment and hospitalisation following injuries in custody. His mother and sister, Chloe Pepper, have written a direct appeal to His Excellency Mansoor Abdullah Khalfan Juma Abulhoul, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United Kingdom.
Excerpts from their letter state:
Excerpts from their letter state:
"Please forgive us for writing to you directly, but we do so out of desperation, concern, and with nowhere else left to turn."
"For many months now, Ryan has remained detained in Sharjah, and our family continues to live in fear and uncertainty surrounding his welfare, health, and future."
"He has reported physical mistreatment, serious concerns regarding his wellbeing, and circumstances that have had a devastating impact on both his physical and mental health."
"We respectfully ask whether Ryan's situation can please be looked into and whether anything within your power may be done to ensure that he is safe, treated humanely, receiving appropriate medical care, and afforded dignity and fairness whilst detained."
"As a family, we are simply asking for humanity, compassion, and reassurance that Ryan is safe."
"For many months now, Ryan has remained detained in Sharjah, and our family continues to live in fear and uncertainty surrounding his welfare, health, and future."
"He has reported physical mistreatment, serious concerns regarding his wellbeing, and circumstances that have had a devastating impact on both his physical and mental health."
"We respectfully ask whether Ryan's situation can please be looked into and whether anything within your power may be done to ensure that he is safe, treated humanely, receiving appropriate medical care, and afforded dignity and fairness whilst detained."
"As a family, we are simply asking for humanity, compassion, and reassurance that Ryan is safe."
After being cut off from the outside world and his Embassy for seven months, Ryan managed to smuggle handwritten notes out of prison, Now, finally able to use the phone, Ryan has been able to directly confirm these fears with the FCDO, his family and directly with Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai.
Public support is growing. A British member of the public wrote to the FCDO: "We as a nation are distressed by horrific treatment of a UK citizen detained without charges... this is a clear violation of human rights! The UK governance is obliged to intervene... Mr Pepper has small children who need him and a family who love him!"
Detained in Dubai calls on UAE authorities to safeguard Ryan's welfare, permit independent medical assessment, and provide transparency on the legal basis for his detention. The FCDO must escalate diplomatic pressure where consular access and due process remain compromised.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, said:
“Ryan Pepper's family wrote to the UAE Ambassador out of desperation. His Excellency recently undertook a media tour of the UK following the Iranian strikes and is clearly actively engaged in his diplomatic role. He has been called upon to help a young British father with serious health conditions who cannot be left in Sharjah custody while the nation watches in horror. The UAE must safeguard his welfare now. The FCDO must match the public's concern with decisive, high-level intervention.
"We have appealed to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for urgent intervention. I have spoken with Ryan by telephone and the situation is deeply distressing. He doesn't even know why he is in Sharjah, an Emirate he has never been to.
“I have raised concerns that a number of individuals, including a US citizen, have been transported to Sharjah, to a prison where severe torture has been documented over many years. We are concerned that Sharjah may be being used as a black site by Abu Dhabi and Dubai for pre-charge interrogations, human rights violations and brutal torture, all of which have been reported by Ryan and other detainees held at the same facility. These allegations require immediate international scrutiny and intervention.
“The UAE has cast its investigative net dangerously wide, subjecting British, American and other foreign detainees to coercive interrogations, extortion, humiliation, abuse and torture. It is unacceptable for Western democracies to be expanding technology, trade and security partnerships with a country that tortures our citizens.
“There are reportedly a number of individuals in detention who are known to each other but not known to Ryan. Among those in prison are crypto influencers and technology specialists. Early reports indicate they were forced under torture to access their digital wallets. This expansive investigation has resulted in the mass round-up of individuals who simply ‘followed’ certain targets on social media. Others have since become subjects of extradition requests.
“Given the documented accounts of torture in the UAE, and specifically in relation to this investigation, it would be unconscionable and a violation of human rights and international standards to approve any extradition requests from the UAE.”
“The UAE has turned into dystopian black site of systematic abuse and horror.”
