An Irish man, Stuart Quiney, 39, could face "several years" in a Dubai prison under UAE cybercrime laws after sending a ninja emoji to an acquaintance accused of stealing his belongings. Quiney, a property renovator from Laragh, Co Wicklow, Ireland, traveled to Dubai in September to visit a friend and left some of his personal items in the friend's apartment.
While Quiney and his friend were away, a Belgian acquaintance reportedly entered the apartment without permission and took their belongings, including sentimental items from Quiney's late grandmother. Quiney sought legal help to recover the items and expressed his frustration in messages, leading to a legal complaint under Dubai's strict cybercrime laws.
How It Started
"While both Stuart and his friend were away, the Belgian let himself into the place and removed all of their personal belongings without permission," a spokesperson for Detained in Dubai said. "Stuart was understandably upset and hoped he'd be able to recover his things, they were personal to him, including small, but sentimental gifts from his late grandmother."
"Stuart drafted multiple legal letters but they were completely ignored," the spokesperson alleged. "I don't really mind the clothes; it's just those things that were my grandmother's and a gift from a friend that is very important to me," he told crisis manager Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai.
Warnings Messages Unheeded
"I came over in June last year and sent him a few messages, basically saying I wanted my things back or I would go to the police but I got no reply again." After returning to Ireland, Stuart received more devastating news: his grandmother was suffering from dementia and would be moving into a care home.
"It hit him very hard," Stirling added. "She is his best friend. He dealt with the pain by drinking alcohol, something he only does once or twice a year. In a drunken state, he must have remembered the theft, reached for his phone and sent some emojis of ninja man and blood drop to the Belgian," she explained.
Quiney told Detained in Dubai, "I very rarely drink so this is completely out of character for me. I've never been in trouble with the law." Upon his arrival on September 6, he was immediately detained, transported to Al Barsha police station, and informed that he could not leave the country, the organisation stated.
Dubai Jail Term Looms Over Irish Man
"He has been advised that he could face several years in prison under strict laws that prohibit rude, offensive or threatening text messages, even if expressed sarcastically, jokingly between close friends or loved ones," Detained in Dubai said in a statement.
"Stuart's mother has been in touch with the accuser, and they have both apologised, but he has said he won't withdraw the case," said Stirling. She claimed that Dubai's strict laws are often misused by complainants who file police reports as a tactic to extort victims.
"It's unconscionable that this is allowed to happen. It puts people at risk of false allegations and wrongful prosecutions. The UAE's cybercrime laws are highly dangerous to tourists. They are unclear, subjective, arbitrarily enforced, and the punishments can be severe," she said. Stirling advised those planning to travel to the UAE to conduct a police check beforehand.
