Feb 15, 2018

Richard Lau release from 10 months of detention without charge imminent

Minister's work tour. Dato' Sri Anifah tours Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), February 14, 2018.

Richard Lau, Malaysian national detained without charge for almost a year is due for imminent release, following intervention from Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and NGO Detained in Dubai.

Yesterday, Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman, held a meeting with the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasim, and other government authorities to request that Mr. Richard Lau be released on bail, subject to local law, while waiting for his court case. The Foreign Minister is also urging that his case be resolved as soon as possible.

In response, officials in Ras Al Khaimah declared their intention to settle the case as soon as possible.

Dato' Sri Anifah meets Ras Al Khaimah Sheikh, Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasim.

The Foreign Minister also visited Richard Lau in prison to inform him of the UAE's willingness to consider his bail application and solve his case. Richard has been detained without charge for nearly a year over unsubstantiated allegations while prosecutors have remained unable to gather sufficient evidence.

Richard Lau worked as project coordinator for a Malaysian company operating in Ras Al Khaimah and, due to a misunderstanding over his wages, he has found himself imprisoned since early 2017.

In a statement, Richard’s family expressed their gratitude and relief. “We are so relieved that Richard’s plight is almost over. We express our heartfelt thanks to Detained in Dubai who supported him and led the campaign for his release. We are touched that our foreign minister DS Anifah personally looked into this case and spoke directly with UAE authorities. We hope there will be an amicable resolution very soon, so that we can put all this behind us and move on.”

Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling commented, “Richard has been detained without charge for over ten months, precisely because there is no evidence to justify his detention. This should be disturbing to anyone considering visiting or investing in Ras Al Khaimah. We are extremely glad that the Malaysian government has been so proactive in this case, once it was brought to their attention through concerted campaigning by Richard’s family and our organisation. The Ras Al Khaimah government having responded in such a positive way is very encouraging, and it shows again how imperative it is for cases like Richard’s to be brought to international attention."