A campaign crew is urging of us going to Dubai to look at their police grunt earlier than travelling after a Tyrone man turn out to be arrested for a unhealthy review left on social media.
Craig Ballentine is a 33-three hundred and sixty five days-earlier Tyrone man who posted on-line referring to to a dog grooming centre in Dubai and can now face as a lot as 2 years in penal complex.
Mr Ballentine has previously lived in Dubai for six months, where he labored at acknowledged dog grooming centre.
After turning into in glum health and taking two days off with a clinical certificate equipped, he stumbled on his employer has reported him as ‘absconded’.
This supposed Mr Ballentine couldn’t work in Dubai and additionally couldn’t wander away Dubai for three months till this attach turn out to be resolved.
When he returned to Northern Ireland, he wrote a unhealthy Google review for the corporate.
A few months later when he returned to the country to talk over with mates, he turn out to be arrested on arrival to Abu Dhabi airport and he’s now stranded in Dubai.
On Lunchtime Are living, campaign crew Detained in Dubai’s CEO Radha Stirling acknowledged most of us “don’t realise” how “low” the social media authorized guidelines are in Dubai.
“Anything harmful”
Ms Stirling acknowledged Mr Ballentine is now facing “charges of slander” below Dubai cybercrime laws.
“It be actually anything else harmful,” she acknowledged. “It can perhaps well perhaps additionally be any clause of the UAE cybercrime authorized guidelines.
“It can perhaps well perhaps additionally be offensive, it would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps perhaps well perhaps additionally be an insult – usually, it comes all the manner down to the feelings of the corporate or the person within the corporate that or no longer it is about.
“I point out, I’ve considered of us arrested for complaining at the moment over the telephone to customer support, even in a neatly mannered device.
“I’ve considered of us arrested for leaving a two, three giant name review on a rental automobile company.”
Craig Ballentine from Co. Tyrone who is for the time being stranded in Dubai. Image: Detained in Dubai.
Ms Stirling acknowledged Mr Ballentine’s enlighten is “an especially overall ingredient”.
“It be a mode for firms to comprise gross opinions taken down, but additionally to head searching for compensation,” she acknowledged.
“So I would possibly perhaps perhaps well perhaps no longer be shocked in any appreciate if the complainant on this case, his gentle employer no doubt demands cash from him.”
Ms Stirling acknowledged Mr Ballentine wasn’t made responsive to the case brought in opposition to him in any appreciate and acknowledged right here is admittedly overall observe.
“His gentle employer did no longer contact him or secure entangled in any appreciate – I accumulate they had been waiting,” she acknowledged.
“They had been hoping that, within the occasion that they take a police case, and they trustworthy wait till lastly he comes support to Dubai where he’ll be arrested.
“It be extremely vindictive.”
“His mother map he turn out to be humdrum”
Upon his arrest, Mr Ballentine wasn’t ready to contact any of his family, Ms Stirling acknowledged.
“He disappeared,” she acknowledged. “He turn out to be fully out of contact.
“He turn out to be no longer allowed his telephone – they confiscated it.
“His mother no doubt map that he turn out to be humdrum – she map the worst.
“You know, it turn out to be fully no longer like him no longer to be enthusiastic when he’s traveling – they had been very shut family, and she in fact map that something dreadful had came about.”
Ms Stirling acknowledged Mr Ballentine top most likely contacted her about per week ago after being inspired by cases treasure Tori Towey’s.
“Imprecise and confusing”
She acknowledged these authorized guidelines are “imprecise” and “confusing”.
“It be as though nothing on-line is barely within the UAE, and or no longer it is implausible, but almost every single traveller to the UAE would already be in violation of these cybercrime authorized guidelines because they’re so imprecise,” she acknowledged.
“Whether or no longer it is utilizing a VPN, whether or no longer or no longer it is a sharing a charity on-line, or a social media post made 5 years ago – perhaps about something harmful associated to the UAE, it would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps perhaps well perhaps additionally trustworthy be as easy as the weather.
“[The laws are] on the total weaponised in opposition to frenemies, enemies, employers, workers, landlords and tenants, and we even ogle husbands and better halves, because it covers even inner most communications.
“So if I send a impolite message to my principal other, for instance, on WhatsApp, you perceive, within the center of a divorce, they would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps well additionally take a case in opposition to me for that, and that will perhaps well perhaps be covered below the cybercrime authorized guidelines.”
Craig Ballantine pictured with the UK’s Princess Kate. Image: Detained in Dubai
Ms Stirling acknowledged if of us “checked their [police] grunt upfront of travelling” it would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps perhaps well perhaps “vastly nick back” the amount of cases treasure Mr Ballentine’s.
The next step for Mr Ballentine is waiting for his court docket date whereas staying with a buddy in Dubai.
First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill is “no doubt strongly advocating for him” – pushing the International Administrative center to intervene and she has additionally contacted the UAE ambassador in London.
“We hope that with this manner of diplomatic push that the UAE can ogle, you perceive, form you no doubt are looking out to detention center a vacationer over a Google review,” Ms Stirling acknowledged.
A court docket date has yet to be build of living within the case.
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Critical image: Craig Ballentine. Image: Detained in Dubai.
