Pakistani national files case against UAE for torture

Muhammad Saad was on his way to Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah pilgrimage when he was arrested by authorities in the UAE. 

The reason given by officials was that he had violated a travel ban imposed on him by his former employer - a restriction, he was completely unaware of after resigning from his job as a consultant in the UAE.

Saad says that what followed was 20 days of physical and sexual torture that have left him with life-changing mental trauma and injuries that require continued medical attention.

After his arrest, the Pakistani national said that he was denied any contact with the outside world and was not given access to a lawyer. Officials did not provide a warrant nor did they provide any information on why he was being detained.

Police officials are accused of subjecting Saad to physical beatings, as well as coercing him to “perform sex acts”.

Pakistani medical officials say Saad has post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as nerve damage caused by physical abuse.

The experience has, according to Saad, left him unable to take up job opportunities, and he is now seeking compensation from the Emirati authorities to cover his loss of earnings.

Emirati officials have not provided a response to the allegations, according to the UK-based rights group, the International Campaign for Freedom in the UAE.

Saad has taken his case to the Pakistani Foreign Office.

Previous allegations

The Pakistani’s account is not the first allegation of torture and mistreatment levelled against the UAE.

Besides detaining Emirati dissidents, such as Ahmed Mansoor, Abu Dhabi has also earned a reputation for seemingly arbitrary arrests of foreigners.

Prominent examples include former Leeds United Football Club managing director, David Haigh, who said he was tortured during his 23-month-long imprisonment in Dubai.

Haigh said he was subjected to beatings and witnessed the torture of other detainees.