A British grandfather is currently being detained in Dubai and faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence after making a noise complaint while on holiday. Ian Mackeller, a 75-year-old retiree from Aberdeen, Scotland, was visiting his daughter and grandchildren during the festive season when he politely asked his neighbors to keep the noise down on New Year’s Eve.
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Unfortunately, his complaint was met with hostility, as party guests began pushing, shouting, and even filming him. To his astonishment, the neighbors retaliated by filing a police report accusing him of trespassing. Originally scheduled to fly back home on January 10, Ian finds himself indefinitely detained in the UAE until the legal situation is resolved, Metro UK reported.
On New Year’s Eve, Ian was looking after his 18-month-old grandchild while his daughter had requested their neighbors to be considerate of noise levels. When the music continued to disturb them, they texted the neighbors to ask them to turn it down. However, instead of complying, the volume was turned up even louder. With his daughter needing to wake up early for work the next day, Ian went next door and politely asked the neighbors to go inside. The situation quickly escalated, with the party host running up to Ian, screaming at him, and even throwing a drink over his grandchild. Ian told her he would report the incident to the police, but his daughter convinced him not to do so. Shortly after, the neighbor filed a report accusing Ian of trespassing.
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Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and a UAE legal expert, described the standard practice in Dubai of preemptively filing a police report when there is a risk of being reported oneself. She explained that the prosecution tends to side with the party who files the first report, leading individuals at risk of being reported to file against the actual victim quickly. Stirling emphasized the need for authorities in Dubai to address this abuse of the criminal justice system, calling for significant legislative changes to eradicate this systemic issue.
‘The prosecution tends to side with whoever makes the first police report, so if someone is at risk of being reported themselves, they will quickly file against the actual victim. This is how people familiar with Dubai justice manipulate the system to their advantage. It is commonplace for foreigners in this situation to offer financial compensation to their accuser in order to drop the case. Authorities in Dubai need to crack down on this blatant abuse of the criminal justice system.’
Radha, who has reached out to Ian’s Member of Parliament, Andrew Bowie, for assistance, expressed her sadness over the situation. She highlighted that a simple request to lower the volume resulted in a travel ban and potential criminal prosecution. She warned that a trip to Dubai can sometimes become a one-way ticket, and if the case is not dropped, Ian could find himself in prisons known for human rights violations, a fate he certainly does not deserve.