Dubai authorities imprison family of Ryan Cornelius; appeals made to European Union for intervention
British Businessman Ryan Cornelius Remains Imprisoned in Dubai Despite UN Ruling
Heather Cornelius, wife of the jailed British businessman, has sought assistance from MEPs and EU officials in Brussels to secure his release. Ryan Cornelius, a property developer, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison following a trial that the United Nations has deemed unfair and arbitrary.
The case surrounds a $501 million (€441.2m) bank loan from the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), which Cornelius and another businessman were using to fund investment programs in the Gulf. The loan was later reset by DIB, claiming it was not being used for the intended purposes and that fake receipts were provided to cover expenses. A settlement was reached, but Cornelius was still detained for 10 years in 2008 as part of an alleged bank fraud case, with his detention extended by 20 years in 2018 if the $430 million debt (€378.4m) was not settled.
A United Nations working group on arbitrary detention ruled in 2022 that Cornelius' trial was unfair and his imprisonment was arbitrary, contravening eight separate articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His case has also been taken up by the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, founded by Bill Browder, who accompanied his family members in their meetings with MEPs and EU officials. Browder describes Cornelius as the longest wrongfully imprisoned British citizen abroad.
In an interview with our website, Chris Pagett, brother-in-law to Cornelius, described his brother-in-law's life behind bars. Pagett stated that Ryan's health has deteriorated, but he remains mentally strong due to frequent phone calls with his wife and three children. Despite this, Ryan spends most of his days in prison in a queue for public call boxes.
Pagett claims that Ryan's case was an obstacle in the UAE's desire for close commercial relations and that it has been a gross abuse of process that the British government has not done more to fight for his release. The British government responded that Foreign Secretary David Lammy had brought up Cornelius' case with the UAE Foreign Minister on 7 December 2024.
MEPs Barry Andrews from Renew Europe and Sean Kelly from the European People's Party have expressed their interest in bringing Cornelius' case to the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. They believe that the detention is unjust and Ryan has significant medical needs that are not being met. They hope to shed light on the case and have him released as soon as possible.
- Heather Cornelius, in her quest for her husband's release, has approached MEPs and EU officials from health and wellness sectors, emphasizing the medical-conditions Ryan Cornelius is facing.
- The property developer is currently battling respiratory-conditions, a potential consequence of his protracted imprisonment in Dubai.
- Apart from respiratory-conditions, Ryan's digestive-health is also reportedly suffering due to inadequate care in the prison.
- Eye-health concerns have been raised due to the lack of appropriate medical facilities for him, as reported by his family.
- His hearing has been affected, too, with his pleas for justice falling on deaf ears, so to speak.
- The environmental-science community has taken notice of the case, linking it to the broader issue of climate-change and human rights violations.
- The detention of Ryan Cornelius, an autoimmune-disorders sufferer, has cast a spotlight on the UAE's handling of such health issues in car-accidents or otherwise.
- Psoriasis, a skin-condition that he suffers from, has worsened due to the unhygienic conditions of the prison, according to his family.
- His case has become an international issue, with the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign tackling war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and crime-and-justice aspects alongside general-news outlets.
- MEPs Barry Andrews and Sean Kelly are discussing his case to ensure that migration policies acknowledge and address cases like Ryan's, where individuals are unjustly detained.
- The environmental repercussions of the case extend beyond health issues, with the potential link between war-and-conflicts and environmental-degradation due to fires in the region creating additional complications.
- Meanwhile, the British government continues to focus its energies on diplomacy, working to address the complexities of international politics through appropriate policy-and-legislation adjustments in response to incidents such as the imprisonment of Ryan Cornelius.
