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In July 2025, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly – 511 votes to 50 – in favour of a resolution calling for the immediate release of Ryan Cornelius, a British citizen and pro bono client of Rhys Davies and Ben Keith, who has been unlawfully imprisoned in Dubai for 17 years. The vote sends a clear message recognising the serious violations of Mr Cornelius’s rights and the urgent need for international pressure.

Mr Cornelius, now 71 years old, was arrested in 2008 on disputed fraud charges linked to a property development loan from Dubai Islamic Bank. Initially sentenced to 10 years, his punishment was arbitrarily extended by a further 20 years in 2018, just as he was due for release. This extension was applied retroactively under Dubai Law No. 37 of 2009, in breach of international legal standards.

In 2022, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) examined Mr Cornelius’ case and concluded that he is being held arbitrarily over the allegations of unpaid debts.

The European Parliament resolution, citing the UNWGAD, condemns the violations of due process in Mr Cornelius’s case, including coerced confessions, denial of legal counsel, prolonged solitary confinement, and inhumane prison conditions. Independent auditors have also confirmed that assets seized from Mr Cornelius were worth far more than the original debt in question.

The case has also been recognised by the U.S. State Department. In its 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for the UAE, the Department highlighted a June report by Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), noting that:

“Ryan Cornelius, a British entrepreneur, remained arbitrarily detained under harsh conditions. Cornelius was arrested in 2008 on charges of fraud related to a property development project in Dubai. According to DAWN, there was a lack of evidence in the case; the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his detention arbitrary and called for his release.”

This U.S. acknowledgement adds to the growing international consensus that Mr Cornelius’s detention is unlawful and must end.

Crucially, the resolution highlights that under Article 7(1) of Law 37 of 2009, prisoners over the age of 70 should not be subject to continued detention. Despite this, Mr Cornelius remains imprisoned, and his health continues to deteriorate,

The resolution calls for:

– The immediate and unconditional release of Ryan Cornelius;

– Compensation and reparations in line with international legal obligations;

– Access to urgent and adequate medical treatment in accordance with international standards;

– An end to the retroactive use of debt-related imprisonment;

– Stronger UK government action to secure his release and return to the UK.

At IHR Advisors, we stand with Ryan Cornelius and his family in welcoming this decisive vote from the European Parliament. It is now imperative that both the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates act swiftly to end this injustice and allow Ryan to return home after 17 years of arbitrary detention.

Image: mirza mustofa via Unsplash

About the Authors

Ben Keith Barrister

Ben Keith is a co-founder of IHR Advisors and an internationally recognised lawyer specialising in INTERPOL Red Notice challenges, extradition, international human rights law and asylum. He is the co-author of Interpol, Law and Practice (Sweet & Maxwell, 2026). He is co-editor of Red Notice Monitor, the leading public resource on INTERPOL Red Notice abuse and the practice of INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of Files.

Ben represents clients across every region in INTERPOL Red Notice and Diffusion challenges before the Commission for the Control of Files. He has secured the deletion of Notices issued by states including Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Belarus, Iran and Venezuela, in cases involving journalists, opposition political figures, refugees, human rights defenders and business figures targeted in commercial and political disputes. He is the author of the INTERPOL chapter in The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Investigations (Global Investigations Review, 2026).

Ben has appeared as counsel before the European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber, the UK Supreme Court, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the UN Committee Against Torture. He is a member of the List of Counsel for the International Criminal Court and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

He regularly acts for politically exposed persons, journalists, human rights defenders and high net worth individuals facing extradition, INTERPOL Notices and other instruments of transnational repression. He provides legal commentary to national and international media including the Guardian, The Times, the Financial Times, The Telegraph, the BBC, Sky News, CNN, CBS 60 Minutes, The Economist, Politico and Al Jazeera.

Ben is ranked Star Individual in Chambers and Partners and a leading individual in The Legal 500 for extradition. He practises from 5 St Andrew’s Hill in London.

View Ben Keith's profile
Rhys Davies Barrister

Rhys Davies is a co-founder of IHR Advisors and an internationally recognised lawyer specialising in INTERPOL Red Notice challenges, international criminal law and international human rights law. He is the co-author of Interpol, Law and Practice (Sweet & Maxwell, 2026). He is co-editor of Red Notice Monitor, the leading public resource on INTERPOL Red Notice abuse and the practice of INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of Files.

Rhys co-authored the report Undue Influence: the UAE and INTERPOL with Sir David Calvert-Smith, examining the systemic misuse of INTERPOL’s Notice and Diffusion systems by the United Arab Emirates and the implications for INTERPOL’s governance. He represents clients in INTERPOL Red Notice challenges before the Commission for the Control of Files, with particular focus on cases involving Middle Eastern and Central Asian states, and on the position of refugees, journalists and political dissidents targeted through INTERPOL by their states of origin.

Rhys has significant experience of in-country legal advice and assistance, most recently in the West Bank, and a specific interest in the Middle East. He is a member of the List of Counsel for the International Criminal Court, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He regularly speaks at, and chairs, events at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and at the House of Commons on matters of international law.

Rhys is the author of numerous articles on INTERPOL Red Notice practice and on justice in the Middle East, and is in demand as a commentator on international human rights. He provides legal commentary to national and international media including The Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Financial Times, CBS 60 Minutes, Sky News, City AM and Al Jazeera.

Rhys is recommended as a leading individual in The Legal 500. He practises from Temple Garden Chambers in London and The Hague.

View Rhys Davies's profile