A Scottish dad has reportedly been detained in Iraq over a 'small debt' owed to the Qatar National Bank.
Brian Glendinning, from Fife, arrived in the Middle East to work as a construction engineer when he was allegedly cuffed and taken to a holding cell, claiming he had no idea why he was being taken away by the authorities.
The 43-year-old was told it was due to an "Interpol Red Notice from Qatar" and a small amount of debt could result in his international arrest and an extradition trial. The father-of-three was due to start a new role at the BP oil refinery but has instead found himself forking out expenses for an extradition trial in a foreign country.
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Brian's brother John says "it makes no sense" about the possibility of being branded "some sort of crime lord" for the sake of a small amount of debt and admits that Brian's family are struggling with the news and just want him home in Scotland.
Radha Stirling, an Interpol expert and founder of IPEX explains: "The bank deliberately activates wrongful Interpol Notices as a debt collection tactic akin to extortion. They wait for a customer to be arrested and hope the parents will dispose of assets and pay the debt themselves. The bank usually asks for substantially more than what was owed, knowing parents will pay anything to keep their children out of jail. It works for them but makes a mockery of Interpol and extradition courts”
His distressed brother John says: “Brian is a hardworking man who has always put his family first. He is the life and soul of any family occasion or party, where he earns the name happy feet (given to his dancing skills). Anyone who meets Brian ends up calling him friend, much loved and well liked in the village of Kincardine where he was brought up and still lives today”.
Stirling confirms: “We will make every diplomatic and legal effort to save Brian from extradition. We will further be making extradition treaty reform suggestions. Qatar is making itself a nuisance and costing taxpayers a lot of money. We’ve helped Brits arrested in Spain (many times), Czech, Italy, Denmark, Ukraine and so on.
"The police and court time is costly and the victim can be unfairly detained throughout the trial. It’s a human rights issue and clearly highlights Qatar’s intimate relationship with Interpol. With the World Cup coming up, Qatar should be mindful of rights attacks towards foreigners.
“I spoke with Brian’s mother Margaret. She was distraught and in tears. It really is a nightmare for family members”. We are offering our full support to Brian’s family and legal team as an expert witness. I am confident we will bring Brian home”.
In just 19 hours, over £6,000 had been raised via an online fundraiser set up to support Brian and his family. To make a donation, you can do so here.
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