A British football fan who claims he was tortured and falsely imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 while on holiday there to watch Asian Cup matches is suing the new head of Interpol.
Ali Issa Ahmad was granted permission by the high court in London for legal action against Maj Gen Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi,, who has been accused of complicity in torture and was appointed as head of Interpol last November.
Raisi, who was appointed inspector general of the UAE’s ministry of interior in 2015 with responsibility for overseeing prisons and policing, is one of six senior UAE officials being sued for damages by Ahmad, 28.
In May 2021, Ahmad sent letters of claim for damages to the six officials. Along with Raisi, the officials include Saqr Saif al-Naqbi, the head of state security public prosecution in Abu Dhabi; Maj Gen Faris Khalaf al-Mazrouei, commander in chief of the Abu Dhabi police; and Maj Gen Ahmed Naser Ahmed al-Dahri, second in command of the Abu Dhabi state security department.
Ahmad says that while he was in UAE he was falsely imprisoned and subjected to assault and battery, intentional infliction of harm including psychiatric harm and negligence between 23 January and 12 February 2019.
Ahmad’s problems started when he wore a football shirt bearing a Qatari logo when he attended a match between Qatar and Iraq at Al-Nayhan stadium in Abu Dhabi on 22 January 2019. He was approached by officials and said he received racist abuse from them and was ordered to remove the shirt.
The following day, he was stopped again by officials and he says he was seriously assaulted before being detained and imprisoned. At the time, the UAE authorities issued a statement saying Ahmad had inflicted the injuries himself, and accused him of wasting police time.
Ahmad said that at the time he wore the Qatari football shirt he did not know that doing so in the UAE was an offence. He says he sustained injuries to an arm and his chest, and had a tooth knocked out after being punched in the face by officials. He says he was deprived of food and water while he was detained.
The high court order granted Ahmed permission late last month to serve the claim out of UK jurisdiction. Ahmad is being represented by Carter-Ruck solicitors.
A letter from the UAE foreign ministry to Ahmad’s lawyers sent in June 2021, seen by the Guardian, claimed diplomatic immunity for the six officials and argued that the English courts had no jurisdiction.
Ahmad said: “I am so happy that the high court has granted permission to serve my claim against the people responsible for my torture in UAE. I have suffered for the last three years. I deserve justice. Torture is painful, it has changed my life and changed how I feel emotionally. I am a victim of torture because of the football shirt I wore.”
The Foreign Office lodged a complaint with the UAE authorities about Ahmad’s treatment but it is understood no response was received.
The UAE embassy has been approached for comment.
