German citizen Dieter Kellouche was good friends with a UAE government official and tribal leader, but upset him and is now serving a life sentence. Dieter was sentenced to life in a Sharjah desert prison after befriending a Sheikh whose failure to recognise him after a few years apart, resulted in his own embarrassment.  The Sheikh apologised to Dieter but then had him arrested and jailed over a series of false and un-evidenced allegations.  Dieter has been sentenced to life in prison. Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai said: “The prevalence of prominent Emiratis abusing foreign nationals is not only frequent, but it’s seriously damaging to the reputation of the UAE.  No investor or expat can feel safe in a country where they can be jailed at the whim of locals who clearly dominate the judicial system in the country and where no evidence of a crime is required to jail someone. “Artur Ligeska wrote a book outlining his wrongful imprisonment, torture and human rights abuses endured at the command of an Abu Dhabi sheikh, and ruler Sheikh Saud, has been accused of serious human rights violations against foreign nationals for his own political gain.  The United Arab Emirates is investing in legal reforms and public relations efforts to attract foreign investors, expats and tourists, but can not succeed while these abuses continue.  The UAE should immediately take steps to intervene in Dieter’s case.  Dieter has been imprisoned, apparently with zero evidence of wrongdoing save for the word of a sheikh.  The German authorities are turning a blind eye to abuses against their citizens and are failing to sufficiently warn nationals of the risks of visiting or living in the Emirates.  This has to stop.” www.radhastirling.com  www.detainedindubai.org  www.gulfinjustice.news