British Man Wrongfully Jailed in Dubai for 17 Years: A Plea for Justice

The Wrongful Imprisonment of Ryan Cornelius

• 📌 Ryan Cornelius, a 71-year-old British man, has been unjustly imprisoned in Dubai since 2008 on false debt charges, totaling 17 years.
• 💡 He was initially jailed on charges related to a loan foreclosure by Dubai Islamic Bank for a property development project.
• ⚖️ After serving a 10-year sentence, his sentence was extended by another 20 years without a new trial, based on Dubai Law 37.

Financial Mismanagement and Unfair Charges

• 🏦 Ryan Cornelius was a property developer with experience in the Middle East, investing in large projects including a Dubai development valued at over $1 billion.
• 📉 The financial crisis of 2008 severely impacted his projects, and his lender called in a loan from Dubai Islamic Bank.
• 📄 Despite agreeing to secure the restructured loan with his assets, Ryan was arrested upon entering Dubai, handcuffed, hooded, and forced to sign a statement in Arabic under duress.
• 🚫 A fraud charge against him was dismissed by a judge due to lack of evidence, yet he was subsequently charged with theft from a state body and given a 10-year sentence.

Inhumane Conditions and Lack of Recourse

• ⛓️ Ryan has endured solitary confinement, poor diet, indifferent medical treatment, and has gone for weeks without sunlight.
• 💔 He has suffered from COVID-19 twice, tuberculosis, and chronic dental pain, with no access to a dentist for five years.
• 🗣️ Despite a UN working group concluding his detention was arbitrary and akin to torture, the British government's response has been largely passive.

Advocacy and International Support

• 🇪🇺 A significant development occurred with an emergency debate and resolution in the EU Parliament, calling for Ryan's immediate release and action from the UK government.
• 🇮🇪 The Irish government has been highly supportive, facilitating meetings in Dublin and Brussels that led to the EU Parliament's resolution.
• 🇬🇧 The British government has been criticized for its evasiveness and lack of action over the past 17 years, with the family feeling let down.

Impact on Family and Hope for Release

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Ryan's imprisonment has had a profound emotional toll on his family, particularly his daughter, and his children miss him deeply.
• 🙏 The family is appealing to the British public to urge their MPs and the government to take action and secure Ryan's release.
• 🌟 The EU resolution and the potential link to EU-UAE trade negotiations offer a glimmer of hope for Ryan's immediate release.