Surge in arrests amid wave of UAE extradition requests

The latest figures quoted by Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai reveal a shocking trend in sudden arrests, false detentions and a rise in mafia style agencies working as debt collectors for UAE banks.

Since the UAE began misusing Interpol as an instrument for enforcing commercial agreements, British, American, and European Nationals are increasingly finding themselves being treated like international fugitives in their own countries.

These arrests, detentions and accusations are related to a “wave of extradition requests, coming out of the UAE” says Ms. Stirling, “What we are seeing is the abusive legal system of the UAE and its everyday human rights abuses, beginning to stretch into Europe”.

“What is scary about these arrests, is that they happen utterly out of the blue, without warning, and without the individuals involved having any idea that they are being sought.. Anyone who has had business or financial dealings in the UAE could be at risk”.

Latest figures compiled by Detained in Dubai and their legal partners, show a sharp rise in UAE extradition requests being acted upon in Europe, causing considerable hardship on those affected and disrupting their lives, sometimes irreparably.

Just last week, a UK National was arrested in England over a UAE request, released only after putting up 10,000 Pounds bail, and is currently forced to wear a degrading ankle tag; essentially under house arrest pending trial. Also last week, a UK National was arrested in Poland and is being held while he waits for the outcome of an extradition hearing. A UK National was just released from detention in Italy where she was picked up for an old debt of approximately 15000 Euros. She was held on bail at her own expense while the UAE’s extradition request was considered..

Yet another UK national was forced to spend 3 weeks in detention in Germany because of a UAE extradition request. Though he is now safely at home in the UK, he now has the burden of trying to have his name removed from the Interpol database.

Most of these arrests are debt related. Many instances that would be dealt with as civil matters in the UK end up leading to costly extradition hearings in the UK and throughout Europe. As most of the warrants are being generated from claims by UAE financial institutions, they don't bother to reply to the court's requests for evidence to enact the extradition treaty, and in addition to that, UK and European courts have expressed grave concerns about human rights abuses in the UAE, which make extradition almost a non-starter. Thus far, 100% of people sought by the UAE for extradition from Europe are eventually, released.

In other words, the UAE is not seeking to extradite people from Europe, it is seeking to harass and intimidate people in Europe by means of the extradition request process.