Derrin Crawford
“What is happening right now to Derrin Crawford should alarm any foreigner in or intending to visit the UAE. She is the latest in a very long list of foreign nationals who have found themselves behind bars in Dubai, not due to anything they did wrong, but due to the systemic flaws in the UAE’s criminal justice system; from police to prosecutors, from judges to jailers. Any normal social interaction can suddenly turn into a criminal case; whether just taking pictures, brushing past someone in a crowded restaurant, going on a date or visiting someone’s home; anyone can find themselves accused of a crime, hastily convicted, and sentenced to years in prison,” Stirling explains.
Radha Stirling, CEO and founder of Detained in Dubai commented that the conditions Derrin is being kept in were "appalling and dangerous".
"Human rights violations are thoroughly documented. We are concerned about Derrin's safety."
Detained in Dubai's chief executive Radha Stirling said it was "absurd" Ms Crawford was being held by Dubai police, and that she had been in the "wrong place at the wrong time" as her "date allegedly possessed marijuana".
ITV Interview with Radha Stirling on Derrin Crawford Detained in Dubai
Derrin Crawford was arrested after cannabis was found in the apartment of a man she had dated.
Her family and a campaign group specialising in Dubai's legal system says there's no justification for keeping her locked up.