FCO urged to increase travel warnings for Dubai after football fan’s arrest

The Foreign Office is being urged to issue new warnings about travel to the United Arab Emirates after a British football fan was arrested in Dubai after wearing a Qatar national team shirt to a match.

Ali Issa Ahmad, a 26-year-old Arsenal fan from Wolverhampton, was in Dubai on holiday in January when he went to a football match between Qatar and Iraq.

Ahmad was arrested after the match, allegedly for wearing the shirt, as it’s an offence in the UAE to show support for Qatar, which the UAE has accused of funding terror groups.

After being released, Ahmad claims he was beaten by officers, and when he returned to the police station to complain, he was charged with making false allegations.

He now faces a long prison sentence or a hefty fine, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai, which called on the Foreign Office to increase its travel warnings for the UAE.

The UAE embassy said it was investigating the circumstances of Ahmad’s arrest. The Foreign Office (FCO) said it was offering support.

The FCO website in its travel advice section says: "The UAE authorities announced on 7 June 2017 that showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication is an offence. Offenders could be imprisoned and subject to a substantial fine.

"You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times. There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK."

A UAE embassy spokesperson said: "The United Arab Emirates embassy is looking into allegations that a British citizen has been detained. The UAE is a nation built on the rule of law and respect for individuals. We take any allegation of human rights violations extremely seriously – whether it concerns one of our citizens, or any of the 1.5 million Britons who visit us each year."

An FCO spokesperson said: "We are providing assistance to a British man arrested in the UAE and are in touch with the local authorities."

Last November, a British academic Matthew Hedges returned to the UK after being accused of spying and jailed for life in UAE. He served seven months of his sentence, mostly in solitary confinement, before receiving a pardon.

Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling said: "I urge Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt to reiterate the strong stance he took during the Hedges case, to demand the immediate release of Ali Issa Ahmad, and to oblige the UAE to guarantee the safety of British citizens in the UAE from wrongful arrest.

"Ali did not commit a true crime, he brought his tourism money to the Emirates, and he went to a football game; for that, the UAE will potentially punish him with a hefty fine and a lengthy imprisonment.

"Detained in Dubai has repeatedly requested the FCO increase its travel warnings to British citizens who are considering visiting the UAE, and I repeat that request now.

"Foreigners are more likely to be arrested in the Emirates than in any other destination, and once entangled in the legal system, there is a high probability of suffering human rights abuses. For this reason, the High Court of England has refused extradition to the UAE, yet tourists continue to be largely unaware of the dangers."