Additional Coverage:
- Man arrested in the UAE after leaving negative Google review of his former employer set to spend Christmas in Dubai: report (newsbreak.com)
A Northern Irish man, Craig Ballentine, faces spending Christmas in the UAE after being arrested for posting a negative Google review about his former employer in Dubai.
Ballentine was detained at Abu Dhabi airport in October over the review and accused of slander. He had previously reported being ill and providing medical certificates, but his employer reported him as “absconded.”
After returning to Northern Ireland, Ballentine wrote the review and was arrested upon his return to the UAE for a holiday. Despite paying a fine and receiving a social media ban, authorities appealed his case, setting a court date for February.
Ballentine’s family has started a GoFundMe to cover his legal fees, describing the situation as “a living nightmare.” He has also appealed to politicians for support, as the UAE has a history of detaining tourists on exaggerated charges.
Advocate Radha Stirling warns that filing complaints in the UAE can be easy, and people can be accused of minor offenses without evidence. She has assisted numerous tourists held up on such charges.