LONG TRIP HOME
A GRANDFATHER who fled Dubai with his daughter to escape her “abusive” husband has spoken of his relief after a court ruled he does not have to return to the United Arab Emirates.
Gary Black went to extraordinary lengths to bring his family back to Scotland seven years ago.
They had to plan an elaborate ruse to make their escape without his son-in-law knowing.
And even after they were safe in their home country, the nightmare was far from over.
For the past four years, Gary has been fighting a battle against being extradited back to Dubai, where he faced being jailed and tortured.
Retired businessman Gary, 64, said the nightmare was worth it to see his daughter Sharon and her daughter safe and happy in Scotland.
He added: “It was a scary experience, but I would do it all again to save my daughter and grand-daughter from a life of abuse in a country that is still living with medieval laws.
“I would warn anyone thinking of going over there permanently or even on holiday, that if things go wrong, they can go very wrong.
“When it comes to the crunch, the only real law is that of the power and influence of the Emirati families.”
Gary moved to Dubai in 2006 after being offered a job with an international logistics firm.
Sharon, 42, had emigrated several years earlier and married Emirati SCOTLAND AMSTERDAM DUBAI Gary’s convoluted route from Dubai to Scotland. Right, Sharon with Al Mehri and their daughter Saeed Al Mehri. They had daughter Ayla in 2009.
But the family claim their new life in the sun turned into a nightmare when Al Mehri began drinking heavily.
Gary said: “I was the managing director of a logistics firm franchise and I had made my son-in-law my local representative. You need an Emirati on board to operate over there.
“Initially, things were OK, but it soon became apparent that Saeed was drinking a lot and becoming abusive and we had to get Sharon and my grand-daughter out.
“In Dubai, a woman isn’t allowed to travel without the permission of her husband and a husband is more or less HONG KONG MANILA free to ‘punish’ his wife in any way that he wants.
“We ended up concocting a story for why Sharon and the baby had to leave to visit relatives back in Scotland.
“I was also trying to plan my own departure. I am sure that Saeed had my phone bugged. He was becoming more and more suspicious.
“In order to get out of the country myself, I told Saeed I was going on a business trip to Asia.
“He was adamant I couldn’t leave because he feared that once the whole family was away, he wouldn’t see us again. So I gave him cash from the company accounts to hold as a security that I would return.
“I then flew out of Dubai to Hong Kong, then on to Manila, then back to Scotland via Amsterdam. “There was no way I was going to get out of the country otherwise.” Gary, who has heart disease, thought his troubles were over until he was arrested at his home in Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, in 2013. He found out that in his absence, a Dubai court had convicted him of embezzling £250,000 from his employer and sentenced him to a year in jail. Gary said the charge was “ridiculous”, adding: “The whole thing was concocted by Saeed. His family are very powerful and well-connected over there.” Last week, an Edinburgh sheriff turned down an appliction to have Gary extradited, saying there was a risk he would be tortured and his human rights abused if he was sent back to Dubai. He said: “This has been a very scary experience and I am just glad it is finally over now. But I am really keen to make others aware of the potential dangers of going to Dubai. I won’t be going back.” Radha Stirling, of pressure group Detained in Dubai, said: “It is believed to be the first attempted extradition to the UAE from Scotland.”