Yahoo News Michelle O'Neill and Foreign Office 'supporting' NI man arrested in UAE
First Minister Michelle O'Neill and the UK Foreign Office are 'supporting' the Northern Ireland man arrested in the United Arab Emirates over a Google review and his family.
Autism support worker, Craig Ballentine, was arrested three weeks ago after arriving in Abu Dhabi to visit friends over allegations of slander linked to a post about his former Dubai employer. UAE's strict cybercrime law bans any form of online criticism.
The 33-year-old Co Tyrone man lived and worked in Dubai last year but after telling his ex-boss he had fibromyalgia the group Detained in Dubai said she registered him as "absconded" with authorities which sparked a legal nightmare.
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Left unemployed, Craig then had to then get a travel ban removed from his passport so he could return home to Northern Ireland - a fight which took months and cost Craig thousands.
Following the furore, Craig is understood to have left an online review about the place he worked and his ex-boss, noting the issues he faced and had no idea that several months later, he would face prosecution.
According to Detained in Dubai, Craig has since removed the post but is now stuck in the country and facing two years in a Dubai jail.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai a group that aids people facing legal difficulties in the Gulf States, is helping Cookstown man Craig and says he told her "mum was so upset and stressed, she thought I was dead".
Ms Stirling warns his case "will send shockwaves to tourists and expats who feel safe posting online from the safety of their own countries" and appealed to First Minister Michelle O'Neill "to make diplomatic representations to the UAE’s Ambassador and FCDO" on Friday morning.
She added: "We hope she can assist in the same way Ireland helped Tori Towey come home."
"Craig has been advised by local lawyers there is almost zero chance of the case against him being dropped. When someone is offended, even if they are at fault, they can open a criminal prosecution out of spite. Craig deleted the post, apologised but still faces jail. It's outrageous."
A Sinn Fein spokesperson said the First Minister "will closely monitor the case and will stay in contact with the family to provide support and advice".
An FCDO spokesperson also told us they "are providing support to a British man in the UAE and have been in contact with the local authorities".
According to Detained in Dubai, Craig has since removed the post at the heart of the issue but is stuck in the country and facing two years in a Dubai jail.
Ms Stirling added: "We’ve seen people arrested for complaining to customer service or for leaving online reviews on hotels and rental car agencies.
"The UAE's recently enacted Cybercrime laws are a nightmare for foreigners. It is sufficient for a complainant to simply tell police that someone posted something offensive or rude. The police don’t even need to see the actual post.
"Craig needs to get home and get to work. It’s atrocious that authorities are allowing such frivolous criminal reports to entangle visitors in the system. The sheer number of cybercrime reports they receive must be significant. There are no protections or safeguards and people’s lives are being ruined."
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