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The Foreign Office has said it is assisting a British man who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates following reports a man was arrested for wearing a Qatar replica football shirt.
The Foreign Office has said it is assisting a British man who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates following reports a man was arrested for wearing a Qatar replica football shirt.
Ali Issa Ahmad, 26, from Wolverhampton, went to the UAE on holiday last month and while there, was allegedly arrested for wearing a Qatar shirt to the Asian Cup tie between Qatar and Iraq on 22 January, the Guardian reported.
Allowed to make a phone call on 31 January, Mr Ahmad called his friend Amer Lokie, who told the paper he had been "beaten" by security men after being accused of promoting Qatar.
"He went to the police station to report the assault and was accused of telling lies about the incident," Mr Lokie added.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of UAE justice specialists Detained in Dubai, said in a statement: "It is outrageous that the UAE would politicise football to the point that a foreign fan with no political or ideological allegiances in the ongoing regional dispute would be arrested for literally nothing more than wearing a shirt for the 'wrong' team."
The Foreign Office warns in its advice for visitors to the UAE that anyone "showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication could be jailed or handed a 'substantial' fine".
The laws were introduced after the UAE joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in cutting ties with Qatar in 2017 over allegations the tiny, oil-rich state supports Islamic extremists.
A spokesman for the UAE embassy in London said: "We are not in a position to comment on the allegations at this time.
"As the 1.5m British citizens who visit the UAE each year know, we are a country built on the rule of law and respect for individuals.
"Allegations of human rights violations are taken extremely seriously and will be thoroughly investigated."
https://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com...held-in-uae-for-wearing-qatar-football-shirt/
The Foreign Office has said it is assisting a British man who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates following reports a man was arrested for wearing a Qatar replica football shirt.
Ali Issa Ahmad, 26, from Wolverhampton, went to the UAE on holiday last month and while there, was allegedly arrested for wearing a Qatar shirt to the Asian Cup tie between Qatar and Iraq on 22 January, the Guardian reported.
Allowed to make a phone call on 31 January, Mr Ahmad called his friend Amer Lokie, who told the paper he had been "beaten" by security men after being accused of promoting Qatar.
"He went to the police station to report the assault and was accused of telling lies about the incident," Mr Lokie added.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of UAE justice specialists Detained in Dubai, said in a statement: "It is outrageous that the UAE would politicise football to the point that a foreign fan with no political or ideological allegiances in the ongoing regional dispute would be arrested for literally nothing more than wearing a shirt for the 'wrong' team."
The Foreign Office warns in its advice for visitors to the UAE that anyone "showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication could be jailed or handed a 'substantial' fine".
The laws were introduced after the UAE joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in cutting ties with Qatar in 2017 over allegations the tiny, oil-rich state supports Islamic extremists.
A spokesman for the UAE embassy in London said: "We are not in a position to comment on the allegations at this time.
"As the 1.5m British citizens who visit the UAE each year know, we are a country built on the rule of law and respect for individuals.
"Allegations of human rights violations are taken extremely seriously and will be thoroughly investigated."
https://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com...held-in-uae-for-wearing-qatar-football-shirt/
