April 27 will mark the 72nd birthday of British businessman and father of three Ryan Cornelius, but he will not be celebrating with his family. Instead, he will be in a six-man cell in Al Awir Central Prison in Dubai, where the UN says he is being detained arbitrarily and unlawfully.
A Life Behind Bars
Arrested in 2008, Ryan was accused of defrauding the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), a charge he denies. He received a 10-year sentence, extended by 20 years in 2018. His release date is now May 2038, when he will be 84. His family fears he will not survive that long.
His wife Heather told the Daily Mail: 'Ryan is a positive and strong person, but I can tell every day now that so much of him is dying. The hope is not there.'
The Family's Ordeal
When Ryan was first detained, his children were 18, 16, and six. Now adults, they have missed countless milestones. The DIB seized all family assets, leaving Heather homeless. She says: 'We have lost absolutely everything that Ryan worked all his life to maintain.'
Ryan's health is deteriorating. He has had Covid twice, suffers from high blood pressure, cholesterol, and borderline diabetes, and his tuberculosis went untreated for 18 months. He receives poor nutrition and limited medical care.
UK Government Blamed
Human rights campaigner Bill Browder calls this a 'national shame' and accuses UK governments of valuing UAE money over citizens' freedom. He says: 'Government after government in Britain values UAE money in the UK more than they value the freedom of falsely detained British citizens.'
Ryan's brother-in-law Chris Pagett OBE adds that the Foreign Office did nothing for the first 15 years. Despite a UN ruling in 2022 that Ryan's detention is arbitrary, the UK has not taken strong action.
Failed Clemency Pleas
The family has submitted clemency pleas during Ramadan, Eid al-Adha, and UAE National Day since January 2023, all ignored by Dubai's ruler. An open letter signed by 146 British parliamentarians and a European Parliament resolution have also failed.
Despite the UAE constitution stating prisoners should not be held beyond age 70, Ryan remains imprisoned. His family desperately hopes the UK government will intervene to bring him home.
