A person faces two years in jail in Dubai – after posting a destructive assessment of a canine grooming enterprise in his dwelling nation.
Craig Ballantyne, 33, took a job final 12 months at a kennel in Dubai, the place he labored for almost six months.
Autism assist employee Craig, from Belfast, was then identified with fibromyalgia and needed to take days off work.
He knowledgeable his boss and despatched her his physician’s notice, however in opposition to Dubai labor legal guidelines they reported him as “absconding” from the authorities, his legal professionals say.
This led to his unemployment and a journey ban on his passport which took two months and 1000’s of kilos to elevate, permitting him to return dwelling to Northern Eire.
After returning dwelling, Craig left a assessment on Google in regards to the grooming middle and his former boss and the difficulty she brought on.
Three weeks in the past, Craig visited Abu Dhabi for a brief break with associates – and was flown to Dubai to face defamation costs underneath the UAE’s robust cybercrime legal guidelines.
He’s now stranded within the nation, absent from his job as an autistic assist employee and dealing with two years in jail.
“We have seen individuals arrested for complaining to customer support or for leaving on-line critiques of motels and automotive rental businesses,” mentioned Radha Stirling, chief govt of Detained in Dubai, who’re working to attempt to get Craig again at dwelling.
“Craig has been suggested by native legal professionals that there’s virtually zero likelihood of the case in opposition to him being dismissed.
“When somebody is offended, even when they’re responsible, they’ll begin a prison prosecution out of malice. Craig deleted the publish, apologized, however nonetheless faces jail time. That is outrageous.”
“We have seen individuals arrested for complaining to customer support or for leaving on-line critiques of motels and automotive rental businesses.”
“The UAE’s lately handed cybercrime legal guidelines are a nightmare for foreigners.
“It’s sufficient for the complainant to easily inform the police that somebody has posted one thing offensive or impolite. The police do not even must see the precise publish.
“The complainants have all the ability and infrequently demand cash from the accused to shut the case.
“It’s a technique of extortion for vengeful individuals. As soon as a prison case is gained, they’ll additionally file civil circumstances for big damages – the system incentivizes it.
“Roommates, co-workers and even spouses have abused this legislation, and we’re discovering that it is usually foreigners who take benefit.”
“On this case, each nations are Western and most of the people would not dream of opening such a case in their very own nations, however they appear fairly joyful to open it within the UAE.”
Craig informed Ms Stirling throughout a cellphone name that his mom was “so upset and pressured she thought I used to be lifeless”.
Craig, who usually volunteers in the local people, is scared and determined to get dwelling.
“Craig must get dwelling and get to work,” Ms Stirling mentioned.
“It’s disgusting that the authorities permit such frivolous crime experiences to entangle guests within the system.
“The sheer variety of cybercrime experiences they obtain have to be important. There are not any protections and ensures and folks’s lives are ruined.
“We’ve contacted Craig’s native consultant, Michelle O’Neill, to ask her to make diplomatic representations to the UAE ambassador and the FCDO.
“We hope she can assist in the identical method that Eire helped Tori Towey get dwelling.”
