British tourists 'tortured' in Dubai

[23536]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-tourists-tortured-in-dubai-8503878.html

Three British men have claimed they were beaten and electrocuted after being imprisoned in Dubai for possession of a cannabis substitute, the latest in a string of expatriates and holidaymakers to fall foul of the law in the United Arab Emirates.

Grant Cameron and Karl Williams, from London, and Suneet Jeerh from Essex, were arrested during a holiday to the country seven months ago. The men, all aged 25, say they were threatened and beaten before being forced to sign documents in Arabic – a language that none of them understands – while one told the UK charity Reprieve that security officers administered electric shocks to his testicles. Dubai Police denied the allegations.

Britons are more likely to be arrested in the UAE than anywhere else in the world as bars, all-day champagne brunches and beach clubs belie strict laws forbidding public drunkenness or displays of affection.

The country’s drugs legislation is draconian, with possession of a banned substance often carrying a four-year minimum sentence and dealing convictions carrying the possibility of death by firing squad.

In his testimony to a lawyer for the charity, Mr Williams claims that he was tortured in a hotel room. He said a towel was placed over his face so that he could not see.

“They kept telling me I was going to die. I was so scared,” he said. “Once I had been knocked to the ground, the police picked me up and put me on the bed. They pulled down my trousers, spread my legs and started to electrocute my testicles. It was unbelievably painful.” After the electric shocks were administered, Mr Williams claims that a gun was pointed at his head. “All I could think was that the gun in my face could go off if the policeman slipped, and it would kill me. I started to believe that I was going to die in that room,” he said.

A source in Dubai police said that a “neutral party” was appointed to investigate if any torture had taken place, but had found the claims to be untrue, adding that the police has been dealing with the British consulate with regards to the case.

The torture allegedly took place after the men were found in possession of the synthetic cannabis substitute “Spice”, which was banned last summer. On the first day it was outlawed 35 British nationals were detained for possession of the drug, prompting the British embassy to send out a circular to schools warning that Dubai Police had been “relentless” in their arrests as they try to stamp out its use.

cont. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-tourists-tortured-in-dubai-8503878.html

 

[Jabberwocky]

draconian was the correct word, yes

 

[trewqpoiuuy]

How many times do we have to read the same story before people stop taking drugs into countries with a death penalty for drug possession? Yes, the laws are terrible, but it's still the tourist's fault for not knowing the strictness of the laws.

 

[poledriver]

Yeah, it's horrible, but what ^ he said is true.

 

[23536]

How many times do we have to read the same story before people stop taking drugs into countries with a death penalty for drug possession? Yes, the laws are terrible, but it's still the tourist's fault for not knowing the strictness of the laws.

Why even go to those countries in the first place?

Britons are more likely to be arrested in the UAE than anywhere else in the world as bars, all-day champagne brunches and beach clubs belie strict laws forbidding public drunkenness or displays of affection.

I don't understand how Dubai became a touristical destination.

 

[Foreigner]

I would never set foot in Dubai. A lot of people go there on business, but people have to understand that it's a constitutional monarchy. The royal family appoints the members of government who do their bidding, and they are harsh conservatives. Imagine not being able to openly hug a member of the opposite sex in public without possibly being arrested?

The only reason why anyone gives two shits about that place is because of the oil industry. If the oil economy ever shrinks or vanishes, Dubai will become the biggest ghost town in the world and they will go back to riding camels to get around. They got rich fast, but their social culture is still 17th century.

 

[pofacedhoe]

The only reason why anyone gives two shits about that place is because of the oil industry. If the oil economy ever shrinks or vanishes, Dubai will become the biggest ghost town in the world and they will go back to riding camels to get around. They got rich fast, but their social culture is still 17th century.

word!

also tax free work. but which is more important your bank balance or your freedom?

 

[poledriver]

I would never set foot in Dubai.

Likewise, not even if I was paid and all airfares paid for. As stated above my freedom is very important to me, and the way I have grown up and lived I would possibly fuck up there and get myself in some serious shit.

 

[slimvictor]

A source in Dubai police said that a “neutral party” was appointed to investigate if any torture had taken place, but had found the claims to be untrue

The "neutral party" probably decided that electrocuting someone's testicles isn't torture.
Just routine police business.

(the hairs on my testicles shriveled up when I read this article)

 

[Foreigner]

but which is more important your bank balance or your freedom?

Some people would sell their souls for money.

 

[slownerveaction]

also tax free work. but which is more important your bank balance or your freedom?

Which freedoms, specifically?

 

[kaywholed]

you have to be an idiot to smoke pot in dubai

 

[qwe]

How many times do we have to read the same story before people stop taking drugs into countries with a death penalty for drug possession? Yes, the laws are terrible, but it's still the tourist's fault for not knowing the strictness of the laws.

until they put a sign at the airplane entrance

 

[pasha]

The journalism contains a few flaws that I thought I should point out. I've lived there a huge portion of my life and believe me, it's not conservative at all.

It's a beautiful city and very tolerant to ex-patriots, the only zero tolerance policy comes towards drugs, not even alcohol. Parties, festivals, etc are held in public on a regular basis probably more so than anywhere that I've lived. Alcohol is readily available at supermarkets, stores, pubs, bars, hotels, sports events, and basically everywhere. If your under 21, you're more likely to drink in Dubai than you are in Europe or the US. Many people labelled bootleggers even deliver alcohol to your home. In regards to public display of affection, being homosexual, or anything of that sort, nobody bothers you.

The largest population of 'New Dubai' or 'Bur-Dubai' are ex-patriots that come from the UK, sweden, Canada, the US etc. New dubai, where all the 7star hotels and resorts exist, is completely separate from 'old dubai'. This basically means that you hardly see 'Arabs', 'Fundamentalists, or 'extremists'. It's no different than being in Paris or New York. Extremely metropolitan. However, just like everywhere in the world, police brutality and corruption does occur, if you're drunk, decide to start swearing at a police officer, that's where things get tricky. Otherwise, it's pretty much decreed from the 'higher-ups' that ex-patriots should not be bothered under any circumstance. After all they are the bread and butter of the nation.

There are exceptions of course, jumping a red light, drunk driving, and most importantly drugs. Here's how you're treated drug-wise from from an objective standpoint. If you're an American, from Europe, Australia, or basically Caucasian you won't get beaten, all that will simply happen is you will get arrested, sentenced, sent to jail and once you've served your time you will get deported . If however you come from a third world country such as India, Pakistan, Africa then they have no problem using violence. The reason behind the violence is so that they can get person A to snitch on person B and C, C and B to snitch on D, F, G H and so on in an exponential fashion, until they can bring down a network of drug users. In the case of an 'ex-patriot' a promised reduced sentence usually does the trick.

The drug laws there are extremely flawed and backwards for several reasons. First of all there is no separation between using heroin, and using cannabis. The only separation in drug law comes in consuming which carries a 4 year minimum sentence, and dealing which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years. What they mean when they say consuming, eg if you have a trace of hash in your wallet, or you have some drugs in your blood. What tends to happen is, if John doesn't like Jane, and Jane has drugs in her blood, all John has to do is point the finger, and without warrant Jane will be detained, tested, and imprisoned. What do they mean when they say dealing, it means you have an amount of drug on you that would be considered consuming in other nations. If you give someone drugs for free that's the worst sentence of the three, which can carry 20 years. Most ex-patriots fall into the consuming category, and the advantage that an ex-patriot (which means carrying a citizenship from a developed nation) carries is their government can interject, and have the sentence lowered by a year, and in some cases two or three, especially in the case of transit flights, or bringing narcotic medication. Opioids are simply not allowed, so if you have some cough syrup with codeine in it, that's 4 years. If you have DXM, that's also 4 years. Like I said, they don't distinguish the difference. Other nations do not get a reduced sentence under any possible circumstance.

Some might say, well if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Most people who consume drugs there and were imprisoned, myself falling into that category, somehow find it difficult it to draw a line between the propagated liberalism, and stringent drug laws. So for example you find that you can drink alcohol, go to night clubs, and behave in the same manner as you would in any other world nation, you somehow forget or psychologically choose to ignore the drug laws. Circumstance has a big part to play of course, and when you couple that with the fierce pursuit of drug users, you'll find that even if you consume drugs with one individual the paranoia will be incessant, and you will eventually get caught. I should also note that as of six months ago, synthetic cannabis became such an epidemic, that it can carry up to a life sentence.

I just thought I would clear up some of these ambiguities. Don't be deterred from visiting Dubai on the grounds of the government or the people being intolerant. It's simply not true, especially that the people their come from all different backgrounds. It's a an incredible city and probably one of the best tourist destinations in the world if not the best.

TL:DR: The moral is if you do intend to go there, is not to have drugs on you, in you, or around you.

 

[MadWolfZX]

I also would not visit Dubai, even if paid. Their enforcement is PURE insanity. There have been reported cases of conviction and imprisonment for example: a couple of poppy seeds on a man's shirt at the airport; seeds from a muffin eaten in another country right before the flight. Another example is a man that had a non visible, but measurable trace of weed on his shoe bottom. There are other incredible examples. Simply, you risk your freedom to circumstances that can be totally out of your control and of no fault to you.

 

[slimvictor]

believe me, it's not conservative at all.

and yet what you have written sounds extremely conservative (or maybe intolerant) to me.

the only zero tolerance policy comes towards drugs

First of all there is no separation between using heroin, and using cannabis.
The only separation in drug law comes in consuming which carries a 4 year minimum sentence, and dealing which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years.

as of six months ago, synthetic cannabis became such an epidemic, that it can carry up to a life sentence.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, but I am not sure my opinions have changed much.
I would love to hear more about your experiences dealing with the legal system there.

 

[Black]

If your under 21, you're more likely to drink in Dubai than you are in Europe or the US.

have you ever been to europe? name one single country in continental europe where the legal drinking age is above 18 years. in fact it's 16 in lots of countries and in most places you could buy and drink alcohol when you're 14 with no problem (at least if you don't look a few years younger than 14-year-old usually do).

 

[MadWolfZX]

Here is a link to the fellow that was charged for the invisible trace sample on his shoe bottom:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...stoms-cannabis-weighing-grain-sugar-shoe.html

I don't have a link to other examples at the moment, but they should not be hard to find if someone wants to find them.

Hell, now they also apparently give 4 years for some common nutritional supplements now(guy arrested for having the very common melatonin supplement in his possession).

I am pretty much convinced that the people responsible for these absurd laws are worthless, uncaring human garbage.

 

[23536]

Hell, now they also apparently give 4 years for some common nutritional supplements now(guy arrested for having the very common melatonin supplement in his possession).

If you have a pineal gland, avoid Dubai.

I am pretty much convinced that the people responsible for these absurd laws are worthless, uncaring human garbage.

I think these (Sharia) laws were concocted centuries ago by people who honestly believed God was commanding them.

 

[plmar]

Idiotic city in an idiotic country. I hope every single living being who is in charge of shit there die of dehydration as soon as they run out of oil.