Gay Briton fighting extradition to Dubai fears he’ll be tortured over sexuality
By Will Stroude
A British man fighting extradition to Dubai over theft charges says he fears he’ll be punished disproportionately and possibly tortured by authorities there because he is gay.
The fate of 32-year-old Michael Halliday, from the Midlands, is due to be decided by Westminster magistrates court tomorrow (December 22).
Halliday has been accused from taking money from a safe at a department store in the city where he formerly worked. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) requested his extradition from the UK in June last year.
Hailliday, who denies all charges, told the Guardian: “I’m extremely worried. If I was sent back I don’t believe I could defend myself in court or have a fair trial. The fact that I’m openly gay would mean that there would be prejudice against me.
“If I was found guilty then I’m worried they would add on extra charges and increase my sentence. The punishment [for being gay] is death in the UAE and 10 years in Dubai.”
According to court documents submitted by Hailliday’s defence team, the former operations manager’s sexuality “is now well known to both the authorities in Dubai and his former colleagues in Dubai.”
“Discrimination against people of foreigners poses a serious risk,” the defence argues. “He has no friends or family in the UAE to assist him while he is detained or to ensure that he has appropriate access to legal representation.”
His lawyers add that an expert sent out to Dubai by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was refused access to inspect prison conditions, though a CPS spokesperson has said would not be “appropriate” to comment on the matter at this time.
Same-sex sexual relations between men is punishable by death under UAE federal penal code, and up to 10 years imprisonment under Dubai’s city-wide penal code.
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