A 27-year-old British father has spent seven months locked up ‘without explanation’ in Dubai prison, where he has been hospitalised after brutal beatings, a human rights group has said.
Ryan Pepper, from Ashford in Kent, has allegedly been assaulted, threatened and psychologically abused while imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Detained in Dubai.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been unable to ascertain the reasons for Pepper’s detention, the group said.
His family say he has had four of his teeth pulled out with pliers and fear he may die in custody due to the mistreatment.
They described how he was held in isolation for around 20 days, after first being detained alongside about 15 people on November 3.
In handwritten notes smuggled from prison, the father-of-two described being physically and verbally attacked, stating that ‘everyone was beaten up’ inside detention.
He has warned relatives not to travel to the desert city and called the jail ‘hell’.
Detained in Dubai has raised urgent concerns regarding arbitrary detention, torture allegations and the wider treatment of British nationals in UAE custody.
Ryan Pepper, from Ashford in Kent, has allegedly been assaulted, threatened and psychologically abused while imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Detained in Dubai
Ryan pictured with his sister Chloe Pepper
In handwritten notes smuggled from custody, the father-of-two described being physically and verbally attacked, stating that ‘everyone was beaten up’ inside detention
It has also brought up Pepper’s case directly with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, as well as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The group suspects that embassy interactions are being monitored, and are not conducted privately.
Pepper claimed that UAE police ‘kidnapped and robbed’ detainees, but repeatedly suggested he could not safely explain what was happening in writing because communications were monitored.
His sister Chloe, who has spoken to Pepper over the phone, told Metro: ‘At first we were trying to stay positive.
‘But then Ryan started telling us people had been beaten, isolated, threatened and denied communication. He sounded terrified. We genuinely began fearing he was going to die in there.’
Family members were denied calls with Ryan until they spoke for the first time on May 13.
She said: ‘Even though I was getting these handwritten notes from him, it was at the back of my mind that if they had been backdated and were made to make it look like he’s alive and he isn’t.
‘So many scenarios went through my head. So to hear his voice and know it was actually him… [I] can’t describe the feeling of relief I felt. But [I was] also sad because of what he’s endured.’
During that phone call, he allegedly described ‘inhumane’ treatment by officials and said he was ‘more worried than ever’ that he was going to be killed.
Pepper claimed that UAE police ‘kidnapped and robbed’ detainees, but repeatedly suggested he could not safely explain what was happening in writing because communications were monitored
According to Detained in Dubai, Pepper has been taken to hospital during his time in the UAE jail, but the authorities claimed this was due to complications from a previous surgery.
The group claimed that British Embassy diplomats met Pepper on February 16, but that UAE officials were present, supervising the meeting.
It said British authorities then made an unexpected visit to the detention centre on May 25, where they had an unsupervised meeting with Pepper, during which he discussed his alleged mistreatment.
Chloe said the family no longer trust official reassurances regarding his health and safety.
She added: ‘We kept being told Ryan was okay. Then Ryan told us he had disclosed horrific abuse directly to officials. He said he felt unheard. He said meetings weren’t private. That completely shattered our confidence.’
Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, said: ‘The Foreign Office continues relying on reassurances obtained in environments where detainees may be terrified to speak honestly.
‘British officials cannot meaningfully assess torture allegations if meetings are monitored by the same authorities accused of abuse.’
She continued: ‘British citizens are walking blindly into a system that the UK government knows carries serious risks of arbitrary detention and abuse.
‘The family say they are now living in constant fear that Ryan will become another British casualty of the UAE detention system.’
