British Man Faces 8 More Years in Dubai Prison

0:00On April 25, British businessman Ryan Cornelius turned 72 on April 27, but he'll spend it locked in a high security Dubai prison, instead of with his wife and three kids. Arrested back in 2008 over fraud claims from the Dubai Islamic Bank that he denies he's been held for 18 years now. The UN calls his detention arbitrary and unlawful, violating human rights rules. His original 10-year sentence got stretched by 20 more years in 2018, pushing his release to May 2038 when he'll. Be 84, that's after a trial tossed for lack of evidence, only for charges to switch and a new judge to step in. The bank grabbed all family assets too, leaving his wife Heather homeless at one point. The family's heartbroken. His kids were teens and a little one when he went in, now full adults missing dead at every milestone. Ryan's health is fading fast, with high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, untreated tuberculosis scars, and twice with COVID.

1:02Heather says the sparse gone from his voice, and they're terrified he won't make it out alive. Campaigners and family blast the UK government for going soft, putting UAE cash deals over a citizen's freedom. Bill Browder's group slams it as a national shame, saying other countries fight harder for their people. They beg for clemency three times a year since 2023. Got parliamentarians and even Europe's backing, but please from top officials. Like a vet Cooper, go nowhere. Tensions from the recent U.S. Israel-Iran clashes have Ryan hearing blasts in prison, wrapping up fears. With his project now worth billions more than the debt, this feels like a shig down to some. The family clings the daily calls, but they need the foreign office to push hard for his release before it's too late.