In Dubai, it is easy to go to jail, being completely innocent, for this it is enough just to “wave the rights” in front of real offenders. Radha Stirling, general director of the organization “Detained in Dubai” and an expert on legal issues from the UAE, warned tourists about this.
According to the UAE press, the standard practice of submitting a warning statement to the police, which is readily used in Dubai by violators of the order, for whom there is a risk of being complained about, gives room for abuse. “Blaming is skewed toward the party who makes the first claim, which leads to people who are at risk of being victimized quickly filing lawsuits against the actual victim. Therefore, if someone risks getting to the police, and is familiar with Dubai justice, he will quickly file a lawsuit against the real victim. They manipulate the system in their interests,” she said.
As an example, the scary story of a tourist who just wanted to calm down the neighbors who went out for a walk, and as a result ended up in prison, was given. The 75-year-old pensioner was visiting his daughter and grandchildren during the New Year holidays and, according to him, he politely asked the neighbors not to make noise on New Year’s Eve. But his complaint was met with hostility – not only the guests of the party quarreled with him in response and even poured a drink on his grandson. To the great surprise of the tourist, the neighbors in response wrote a statement to the police, accusing him of trespassing on their territory. In the end, instead of going home, the tourist sits in custody, and the human rights defender turns to members of parliament for help.
“It is imperative that the authorities in Dubai address this abuse of the criminal justice system by calling for significant legislative changes to eradicate this systemic problem. This flagrant abuse of the criminal justice system must be put to an end,” she said. Meanwhile, the expert warned tourists that going to Dubai can be a dangerous business.