The United Nations is demanding the release of British businessman Ryan Cornelius, who has been detained in Dubai's Al Awir Central Prison for 18 years. The UN has accused the United Arab Emirates of 'serious judicial irregularities' in the sentencing of Cornelius, who was convicted of defrauding a Dubai bank.
Human rights campaigner Sir William Browder stated that unless Cornelius, now 72, is freed soon, "his detention will become a death sentence." Browder characterized Cornelius as "yet another victim of a draconian and corrupt Middle Eastern legal system in which the courts are used to pursue vendettas, settle scores or raid assets."
Cornelius was arrested in Dubai in May 2008 over a $500 million bank loan used to fund a luxury development project. Prosecutors accused him of fraud, a charge his family and supporters maintain stems from a technical issue exploited by the legal system. His family asserts that his bank accounts were drained, his homes in London were seized and sold, and the leisure development, part-funded by the Dubai Islamic Bank, was confiscated.
Cornelius has reportedly suffered significant health issues during his incarceration, including tuberculosis, COVID-19 twice, borderline diabetes, high blood pressure, and raised cholesterol. He is also said to manage chronic dental problems himself. He has spent 18 years in Al Awir prison, described by human rights groups as a grim, high-security facility. Cornelius shares a cell the size of a shipping container with six other inmates.
His legal ordeal has included three years in prison without trial, periods of solitary confinement, and an arbitrary extension of his sentence by 20 years just as he neared completion, which would keep him imprisoned until he is 84. His family fears for his survival, noting his deteriorating health and the lack of adequate medical care for the prison's 4,000 inmates.
Cornelius has missed significant family events, including the childhood of his youngest son, who was six when he was arrested, and the deaths and funerals of both his parents. Recently, his eldest son's partner gave birth to his first grandchild, a boy whom Cornelius has never met.
Despite the hardships, Cornelius maintains contact with his wife, Heather, through brief, daily five-minute phone calls. Heather Cornelius has been campaigning for her husband's release since 2008. She credits former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron for his involvement, stating he wrote a personal letter to Dubai's ruler appealing for Ryan's release. However, she claims most British foreign secretaries offered sympathy but no tangible assistance.
Dubai authorities maintain that Cornelius had a fair trial in which all due processes were followed. In most Western countries, debt is considered a civil matter, but in the UAE, it is a crime. The development project Cornelius was involved in, initially valued at $1 billion, has reportedly been redeveloped and is now a multi-billion dollar villa complex known as The Acres.