Brit arrested in UAE ‘for wearing Qatar football shirt’
Abu Dhabi authorities claim Ali Issa Ahmad, 26, was held for ‘wasting police time’
A British football fan has been detained in the United Arab Emirates after wearing a Qatari team shirt to a match, as diplomatic tensions between the two Gulf states continue to simmer.
The UK Foreign Office is assisting British national 26-year-old Ali Issa Ahmad, an Arsenal supporter who lives in Wolverhampton, following his arrest, Sky News reports.
He had bought a ticket for the Asian Cup match between Qatar and Iraq on January 22 while on holiday in the UEA, and then wore the Qatar shirt to the game - “not knowing that doing so in the UAE is an offence punishable with a large fine and an extended period of imprisonment”, says The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, the UAE cut ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations of Doha funding Islamic extremists around the world.
The UK Foreign Office website warns visitors to the UAE to be aware of these tensions, saying: “Showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication is an offence. Offenders could be imprisoned and subject to a substantial fine.”
However, authorities in Abu Dhabi dispute the claims that Ahmad was arrested for wearing the football shirt. The government insists he was detained for “making a false police report”, reports UAE-based news agency The National.
Ahmad is alleged to have gone to a police station after being “abused by UAE fans” and to have then been taken to hospital for an examination. He was arrested and “charged with making false statements and wasting police time” after authorities deemed his injuries “self-inflicted”, the site continues.
These claims were later repeated in a statement posted on Twitter by the UAE embassy in London.
But The Daily Telegraph suggests that Ahmad had been arrested at the match and was abused by UAE security officials. “He was later released but went back to a police station to report the abuse,” according to the newspaper, which says he was “then arrested again and accused of making false claims against authorities”.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai, told the Telegraph: “It is outrageous that the UAE would politicise football to the point that a foreign fan with no political or ideological allegiances in the ongoing regional dispute would be arrested.”
A UAE embassy spokesperson said: “The United Arab Emirates embassy is looking into allegations that a British citizen has been detained. The UAE is a nation built on the rule of law and respect for individuals.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 2, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published