Jailed Britons family Seriously Concerned for his Health as He Enters Fourth Week of Hunger Strike in Dubai

Safi Qurashi, a successful British businessman in Dubai enters his fourth week of Hunger Strike in Dubai's central Jail despite the serious concerns of his family over his health and physical condition. He is one of dozens of hunger strikers in Dubai Jail who are protesting against the misinterpretation of Emirates' finance & check laws and their inability to receive a fair trial.

Qurashi suffers from diabetes and low blood pressure and is on medication to regulate his blood sugar. His family visited him today and are very worried about his health.

Sara his 13 year old daughter came back in tears after seeing her dad and said "If something is not done soon my dad will die. We've lost everything, my dad's business, our house do they expect us to lose him too, I just don't understand why it is taking the Attorney General's office so long to review my dad's case."

Sara Qurashi campaigns daily for her dad's release on Facebook, Twitter and on her website justiceformydad.com.

The father of three also suffers from sleep apnea which means that without a special mask he is unable to properly sleep which he was denied access to in jail and therefore has suffered mild sleep deprivation for over 2 years since his incarceration in 2010.

His wife is extremely concerned for his welfare. "My Husband was already suffering from improper sleep for over 2 years that had affected his health but now his hunger strike is a very serious concern for us. I have seen his health go from bad to worst in less than a month and I do not know how I can help him. If he continues the hunger strike we fear the worst for him especially since he is diabetic. He is refusing to see a prison doctor."

His family have said, "We hope that the Attorney General will meet with them this week after completing their review. It has been 6 months now since the public prosecution have been reviewing his case and almost 1 month since Safi met with Chief of prosecution Hamad Al Khallafi who agreed to review his case and assured him if there are legal grounds for him to be released then for sure this will happen."

Qurashi's wife has added that, "Every day we go the Public Prosecutor and Attorney General's office and are told that the review is not ready come back tomorrow."

Safi Qurashi was sentenced to 7 years in Dubai Central Jail for check fraud in trials that lasted seconds. In October 2011 a court expert report confirmed that Safi Qurashi had no liabilities and does not owe the complainant any money, however despite this his appeals were still rejected. In January 2012 another Court Expert Report also stated that he had paid the value of the cheques and no money was outstanding.

Whilst Qurashi continues his dangerous hunger strike, the British Government remains silent and even the Ambassador of the UK Embassy in UAE is unavailable to visit the many British citizens who all call for nothing but a fair trial according to UAE Law and for the UAE constitution to be upheld. A family member stated, "Do we have to throw a cocktail party and invite some high profile investors for the Ambassador to see us!".


Notes
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- The Foreign and Commonwealth office requested that an Emirati lawyer state that 'due process' was not followed at the trials in writing. His Emirati Lawyer, Isa Bin Haider, has provided this statement back in August 2011 but the British Government has still not taken up his case.

- Fair Trials International in the UK is calling for his release because he was not given a fair trial.

- Mr Tarique Ghaffur, former Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner conducted an independent investigation that shows how Safi Qurashi was the victim of 'a series of miscarriages of justice' and stood little chance of ever proving his innocence

- For more information email: justiceformydad@gmail.com