Farzan Athari

"We are often asked whether a person's financial status plays a role in their ability to be released, pardoned or have their case reviewed. In our experience and in the majority of cases, we have noted that it helps to have the support of the public and the financial backing to hire companies or individuals to support a release campaign." Radha Stirling, CEO and founder of Detained in Dubai

Live with Radha Stirling - Discussing Dangerous Dubai, Cybercrime Laws, Police Checks, InvestmentRadha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, discusses dangers in Dubai and issues warning to foreigners to conduct police checks before traveling to Dubai. Advice to tourists and investors including bounced cheques, financial debt, alcohol laws, cybercrime and social media laws, free speech and risks to foreign investors. Radha Stirling is a leading human rights advocate, crisis manager and policy consultant, focusing on the UAE and the wider Middle East. She is the founder and CEO of British based organisation Detained in Dubai and its subsidiaries, (which have helped thousands of victims of injustice over the past ten years). In 2010, she expanded her work to include countries throughout the Gulf region; dealing with both civil and criminal cases. She has provided expert witness testimony in several high profile extradition and arbitration cases, while lobbying for Interpol reform. Given her breadth of experience in financial disputes, Ms Stirling also provides expert risk assessment for investors and advice on business strategies in the Gulf. She has actively negotiated on behalf of corporate clients and investors, assisted in recovering stolen assets, and intervened to secure their freedom from unlawful detention. Ms Stirling frequently appears in international media to discuss human rights and legal issues in the Middle East. She recently addressed the United Nations and worked closely with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Ms Stirling has provided policy advice to both the Australian and British governments, and is a frequently invited speaker on foreign policy issues related to the Gulf states and broader region. Her high-profile media campaigns and legal work have influenced the release of countless high profile prisoners in the UAE, notably David Oliver, Richard Lau, Ellie Holman, Matt Joyce and Marcus Lee, Safi Qurashi, Scott Richards, Conrad Clitheroe, Gary Cooper, Farzan Athari, Billy Barclay, Jamie Harron, André Gauthier in the Gold AE fraud, Laleh Shahravesh & Derrin Crawford. Stirling is acting in a number of cross jurisdictional commercial litigations including Oussama El Omari, Karam Al Sadeq, Dr Mohammed Haddad and Najib Khoury. Ms Stirling publishes regular articles and reports, often covering human rights issues, political prisoners, Middle Eastern finance and debt laws, social media laws, cybercrime laws and Interpol red notice abuse. Radha has worked extensively at parliament level and closely with Senators and MP’s. Her work at Australian Parliament ensured provisions to safeguard citizens against human rights violations were included in their extradition treaty with the UAE. Stirling acted for HRH Sheikha Latifa Bin Rashid Al Maktoum which led to a United Nations investigation into her disappearance from a US yacht in international waters. Stirling delivered a speech at a Frontiers of Freedom conference in November 2018, focussing largely on the increased influence of Saudi Arabia and the UAE into American politics and media, questioning whether these US “allies” are acting in the best interests of the States. Since founding Detained in Dubai in 2008, she has held various senior roles in law firms in the Middle East and was most recently described by Daily Beast as running "an extraordinarily slick - and convincing - PR campaign ostensibly designed to free her [Princess Latifa]".

In a statement, Radha Stirling, founder of the UK-based organisation Detained in Dubai and who helped campaign for Athari’s release, said: “We are thankful for the release of Farzan Athari. His request for a pardon was granted speedily and I am certain that he is grateful. His release required an international co-ordinated effort, including a song production that attracted almost 100,000 views on YouTube. "