A British father-of-two has allegedly spent more than seven months locked inside a Dubai prison without being told why he was detained, with his family claiming he has suffered “brutal beatings” in custody. Ryan Pepper, 27, from Ashford, Kent, is said to have been held in Sharjah since November after travelling to the UAE, where he later found work as an estate agent. He was arrested alongside 15 other people.
According to his relatives and the campaign group, Detained in Dubai, Mr Pepper has never appeared before a judge and still does not know the reason for his detention. His devastated family claim the young father has been repeatedly assaulted behind bars and was recently taken to hospital with injuries believed to have been caused by attacks in custody. Human rights campaigners have alleged he suffered damage to his teeth during the alleged beatings, although UAE officials reportedly told British authorities his treatment related to complications from previous surgery.
Mr Pepper’s relatives have said they were left in the dark for weeks after he disappeared, with fears growing that something terrible had happened to him. In handwritten notes reportedly smuggled out of prison, he described overcrowded cells, violent treatment and inmates being denied basic contact with the outside world.
One note allegedly read: “There is around 20 people per cell,” while another claimed: “I was beaten up for 19 days straight.”
He has warned relatives not to travel to the desert city and called the jail “hell,” the Daily Mail reported.
His sister Chloe said the ordeal has left the family terrified for his safety, claiming he now fears he could die in custody. She also alleged he had four teeth pulled out during torture sessions inside the prison.
The London-based organisation Detained in Dubai has accused UAE authorities of serious human rights abuses and criticised the response from the Foreign Office, claiming British officials have struggled to secure proper welfare access to Mr Pepper. A planned embassy visit was reportedly cancelled due to “short-term restrictions”.
The group has also brought up Mr Pepper’s case directly with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, as well as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting a British national detained in the UAE, but officials in Dubai have not publicly commented on the allegations.