The family of a Scottish man jailed in Iraq over a £20,000 debt to a Qatar bank said he is struggling with life behind bars.
Brian Glendinning, from Kincardine, Fife, flew into Basra International Airport on September 4.
The 43-year-old was due to start work as a construction engineer, however when he attempted to pass through border control he was cuffed and taken to a holding cell.
The father-of-three had no idea why he was detained and was shocked to discovered there had been an Interpol Red Notice from Qatar issued over an unpaid £20,000 loan he had taken out with Qatar National bank in 2016.
Brian's brother John Glendinning told the Daily Record his sibling took the loan out with the bank when he was living in Qatar in 2016 because of the low-interest rates.
He claims Brian continued to pay the loan back until he was forced to give up his job in the country due to ill-health the following year.
John, who is also an engineer, said the family have now found out a warrant was issued for Brian's arrest in 2017 over this unpaid loan and claims he was sentenced to two years in prison because of it - however said his brother was never made aware of it.
He added: "I don't know the exact ins and outs of the situation, but I do know Brian had been paying it back for some time and then stopped but he had no idea any of this had been going on.
"We now know a warrant was issued for his arrest in Qatar because of the unpaid debt, but Brian was never informed about it. He had no idea he was wanted in the country and had been put on Interpol's red list.
"Since this time he has travelled to many countries and has never been stopped at Border Control. We were both in Spain a few months ago and there were no issues. Why has it only came to light now? I thought if you were on an Interpol list then you would not have been able to cross a border.
"He's not a criminal yet he is being treated like a crime lord. I'm not arguing the fact that if you borrow money then you should pay it back, but there has clearly been some sort of issue here and surely it can be resolved without Brian being in prison."
John said Brian's mental health has deteriorated rapidly since he was jailed last month.
He added: "Brian is struggling big time inside. His mental health is really deteriorating. He's constantly thinking of the what-ifs and worrying about how his family will cope if he is sent to prison for a long time.
"He is the main breadwinner. He hasn't been able to send his wife or family any money since he was arrested. His life has been turned upside down over something he had no clue had been an issue.
"He's never been in trouble with the law before. He's a family man and was travelling to make money to support his family back in Scotland.
"The Government needs to step in fast to get this red notice from Interpol dropped before he's extradited to Qatar and it's too late.
"We are told if he goes there he will have to serve a minimum of two years. We desperately don't want it to go that far. We just want Brian back home now. We're going out of our minds with worry."
Radha Stirling, an Interpol expert and founder of IPEX explains: "The bank deliberately activates wrongful Interpol Notices as a debt collection tactic akin to extortion. They wait for a customer to be arrested and hope the parents will dispose of assets and pay the debt themselves.
"The bank usually asks for substantially more than what was owed, knowing parents will pay anything to keep their children out of jail. It works for them but makes a mockery of Interpol and extradition courts."
In just over 24 hours, almost £12,000 has been raised via an online fundraiser set up to support Brian and his family. To make a donation, you can do so here.
Interpol, the UK Government and Qatar International Bank have been contacted for comment.
An FCDO spokesman said: “We are providing support to a British man who has been arrested in Iraq and are in touch with the local authorities.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
