The family of a Scottish man jailed in Iraq over a £20,000 debt to a Qatar bank have staged a protest outside of Holyrood demanding action from the Government to bring him home.
Brian Glendinning, from Fife, was detained when he travelled to Basra to start a new job on September 4.
The 43-year-old was due to start work as a construction engineer when he was cuffed at border control after an Interpol Red Notice from Qatar flashed up against his name.
He has been in prison since and told he may be extradited to Qatar to serve a two-year prison sentence.
Brian's loved ones staged a protest outside the Scottish Parliament building to call on officials to put pressure on the Government to help free him.
Brian's brother John Glendinning, who has been tirelessly campaigning for his sibling’s release, added: "We hope today's demonstration will get the attention of the Scottish Government. Our family needs their support and help from the UK Government.
"We tried to contact ministers but we've had no response. We've been vocal about Brian's case in the media and online - no one has helped us.
"We need the Scottish Government to apply pressure to the UK Government to intervene in Brian's case.
"We need their help and I won't stop until we get their attention."
Brian is believed to have taken out a loan when he was living in the middle east in 2016 because of the low-interest rates.
His family say he was making payments towards the loan until he was forced to give up his job in Qatar due to ill health the following year.
After his arrest, John says the family found out a warrant was issued for Brian's arrest in 2017 over the unpaid debt - but he claims Brian was never made aware of it.
Brian’s wife Kimberley previously said she fears for her husband's welfare amid claims of 'terrible conditions' behind bars.
She received a heartbreaking phone call from the detention facility in Baghdad where Brian has been for over a month.
At the time she said: “He’s not well. He has no energy. I really think he’s given up. The conditions are terrible."
Kimberley said she had been overwhelmed by the number of people who joined the family in their protest today.
She added: "It shows that other people do care about Brian too. We're not alone in this."
Radha Stirling, an extradition crisis consultant who has been helping the family, said: “It is appalling that a British citizen has been detained in Iraq and our Scottish MP, Mr Douglas Chapman has received no response to his communications to James Cleverly, our Foreign Minister.
"Cleverly should be using every diplomatic effort available with Qatari and Iraqi counterparts to end this circus, but he has not even responded to basic communication.
"It is no wonder that the Glendinnings' and supporting Scottish MP’s are encouraging a demonstration in front of Parliament calling for action.
"They have noted that other Scots detained abroad have received no help either, including Conor Howard, Billy Barclay and Jamie Harron.”
Ms Stirling went on to say she believes Interpol will delete the Red Notice once she has appealed, but said the process takes months and does not help Brian in his current predicament.
She added: "QNB should never have been able to list Brian in the first place but the damage is done."
Scots men Connor Howard, Billy Barclay and Jamie Harron, were also all detained in foreign prisons over recent years in similar circumstances.
Connor Howard was arrested in Corfu after an Interpol notice from Qatar authorities said they found drugs on him when he passed through the Middle Eastern state in October 2019. He had a cannabis grinder in his possession and charges were dropped after he spent weeks in a Greek prison.
Billy Barclay was jailed in the United Arab Emirates over an alleged counterfeit £20. Billy was stopped on his return to Dubai International Airport in September 2017 after an incident the previous year when he tried to exchange money at the Al Hamra Mall in Ras Al Khaimah. Despite his arrest, the case against him was finally dropped and he was allowed to return home to Scotland.
Jamie Harron, from Stirling, was arrested for public indecency after putting a hand on a man to avoid spilling a drink as he moved through a crowded bar in Dubai in 2017.
The 27-year-old was sentenced to three months in prison - but the case against him was dropped on order from the Ruler of Dubai.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:“The Scottish Government is aware of the case of Brian Glendinning who is currently being held in Iraq and recognise the anxiety caused for his family. We call on the UK Government to do all it can to support him and his family at this concerning time.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Spokesperson said: “We are providing support to a British man who has been arrested in Iraq and are in touch with the local authorities.”
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