On case of Ryan Cornelius in Dubai

B100340/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on case of Ryan Cornelius in Dubai

(2025/2796(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),

having regard to the Opinion No. 19/2022 of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concerning Ryan Cornelius,

having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas Mister Ryan Cornelius, a 71-year-old British national married to an EU citizen, has been arbitrarily detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2008, following a conviction on bank fraud charges in proceedings that lacked fundamental fair trial guarantees;

whereas Ryan Cornelius was initially sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, and just before his scheduled release in 2018, his sentence was extended by an additional 20 years under UAE Law No. 37 of 2009, applied retroactively and in violation of international legal standards;

whereas the UN WGAD concluded in 2022 that his imprisonment is arbitrary, unlawful, and violates multiple provisions of the UDHR;

whereas Ryan Cornelius was held in prolonged solitary confinement without access to legal counsel or communication with his family; whereas he was denied legal representation and interpretation during Arabic-language court proceedings, and reportedly coerced into signing documents he could not understand, falsely affirming that his human rights had been respected;

whereas Ryan Cornelius has been held in inhumane conditions amounting to torture under international law, including extreme temperatures, sleep deprivation, and unsanitary facilities; whereas he has developed serious untreated health issues such as tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure, and remains without adequate medical care;

whereas on 18 July 2024, the UAE court rejected his request for release on humanitarian and constitutional grounds, despite national law stating that prisoners should not be held beyond age 70;

Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Ryan Cornelius;

Demands that Ryan Cornelius be granted full reparations for the suffering he and his family have endured;

Condemns the arbitrary and prolonged detention of Ryan Cornelius and the violations of his human rights, including the denial of a fair trial, due process, and adequate medical treatment;

Demands that the UAE authorities allow independent medical experts to assess Ryan Cornelius’s condition and provide urgent medical treatment;

Denounces the retroactive application of Law No. 37 of 2009 and urges the UAE to abolish the use of debt-related imprisonment; notes that Ryan Cornelius remains in prison despite the authorities having seized assets valued at more than twice his original debt;

Expresses solidarity with Ryan Cornelius’s family;

Calls on the United Kingdom to take all necessary action to ensure the release of Ryan Cornelius;

Calls on the VP/HR, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, and the Member States to raise Ryan’s Cornelius case in all bilateral engagements with the UAE;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the VP/HR, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the UAE.