Three British men are being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after being accused of breaching national security while indulging in what their families say was their hobby of plane spotting. The trio were reportedly taking notes near Fujairah airport, about 80 miles from Dubai, when they were stopped by an off-duty policeman.
Valerie Clitheroe said her husband Conrad, 53, and his friend Gary Cooper, 45, have been detained along with their former work colleague, ex-pat Neil Munro, since 21 February. She added that her husband, who was due to fly home on 22 February following a planned four-day trip, was being forced to share a cell with more than 20 men.
“We were just totally shocked when we heard and couldn’t believe it was true,” she said. “He’s really choked up every time I’ve spoken to him. They’re trying to help each other but it’s difficult not knowing. They would never do anything that would risk national security. They weren’t taking pictures. They didn’t realise plane spotting was such an issue.”
Clitheroe, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said she has spoken to her husband three times on the telephone since his arrest and has raised concerns over his health. “He’s got high blood pressure and a heart murmur,” she said.
The men are being held at Fujairah prison on suspicion of breaching “national security”, according to the charity Detained in Dubai, which has now intervened and is seeking the trio’s release. The charity’s founder, Radha Stirling, said: “All three friends have a shared hobby of plane spotting and were keen to see Fujairah airport, where many older and rarer aircrafts can be seen. The practice is legal in the UAE, though not widely understood, nor appreciated by authorities.
“The families of Gary and Conrad have now been advised that the matter has been escalated in concern to that of ‘national security’ and has been transferred to higher authorities in Abu Dhabi. The families are in obvious distress at how a simple and common hobby behaviour can turn into a prison ordeal.”
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman said: “We can confirm the arrest of three British nationals in Dubai on 22 February. We are providing consular assistance at this time.”
Fourteen British and Dutch plane spotters were arrested in Greece in 2001 and held on spying charges in a lengthy court case.