Heather Cornelius, whose husband has been detained in the United Arab Emirates over a bank fraud since 2008 has pleaded for the government to intervene. On Thursday 14 July 2022, Ms Cornelius, her family, and lawyers were calling for assistance from the UK Government to assist with his return from the UAE.
Husband Ryan, 68, was arrested at Dubai airport in 2008 and sentenced to 10 years in jail. Three years later he was later given a further 20-year sentence.
Nearing the end of his 10-year sentence, Mr Cornelius had been due to be released in 2018, but his sentence was increased by 20 years, reportedly due to an Emirati law passed after his arrest.
Mrs Cornelius told BBC London that she believed it has gone beyond what she described as a "minor banking fraud".
"This is enough now," she said."It is more than anybody can take. We are all desperate to get Ryan home."
The United Nations has called for the immediate release of the Londoner. He is said to be seriously ill with tuberculosis.
Ben Keith and Rhys Davies have worked extensively for a number of years, on a pro bono basis to achieve justice for Ryan, a British national who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Dubai for over 13 years. They have acted as legal counsel on his campaign and have provided the client’s family with advice, written advocacy, legal submissions and in-depth legal assistance.
Ben Keith is a leading barrister specialising in Extradition, Immigration, Interpol and International Law, as well as dealing with Serious Fraud, and Public law. He has extensive experience of appellate proceedings before the Administrative and Divisional Courts, Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Court of Appeal as well as applications and appeals to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and United Nations. He won the International Pro Bono Barrister of the Year in November 2021, for his work of the Ryan Cornelius case. He is a Band 1 ranked barrister in Chambers & Partners and Tier 1 in the Legal 500 for his Extradition and International Crime work.
