Northern Irishman detained in UAE hopes to be home for Christmas

A tourist held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the publication of a critical Google review has stated his desire to be “just wants to be home for Christmas”. Craig Ballentine, a Northern Ireland native, was apprehended at Abu Dhabi airport in October. His arrest was due to critical remarks he had posted concerning his previous employer in Dubai. Mr. Ballentine faces an accusation of slander. However, the stringent cybercrime legislation in the UAE indicates a possibility of imprisonment for the comments he made within the online review. The 33-year-old care worker conveyed to BBC News NI: “It’s just a waiting game for my family now, the most important thing for me at the minute is to be with them on Christmas Day.” These statements coincide with Sinn Féin’s disclosure of information regarding Michelle O’Neill’s involvement in the matter. BBC News NI has reviewed a letter dispatched by the first minister to the UAE Embassy situated in London. The letter contains her statement: “The increasing number of people travelling from across Ireland to UAE is to be very much welcomed, however cases such as Mr Ballentine’s creates a concern for many of those, whether tourists, or taking up employment.“I would sincerely urge your good offices to intervene on behalf of Mr Ballentine, taking a compassionate approach to the matter and ensuring that he can return home at the earliest opportunity.” A Sinn Féin spokesperson verified that, as of now, no response has been obtained from the UAE Embassy. Mr. Ballentine, who hails from Cookstown in County Tyrone, expressed appreciation for the ongoing involvement of political figures. He remarked: “We’ve seen a number of councillors and MLAs get involved and I’m so grateful, obviously with Michelle O’Neill being Stormont first minister that’s very important.“She’s still waiting for a reply from the UAE embassy, but fingers crossed that will come soon.” During 2023, Mr. Ballentine secured employment at a dog grooming salon located in Dubai. Following nearly six months of work, he required leave due to illness and consequently provided his employer with a doctor’s certificate to substantiate his medical state. However, upon his absence from work, he was officially recorded as “absconded” by the UAE authorities, which resulted in a prohibition from departing the country. Subsequently, Mr. Ballentine successfully had the travel restriction removed and returned to Northern Ireland. This process spanned two months and incurred expenses amounting to thousands of pounds. While back in Northern Ireland, he composed an online review for the dog grooming salon, detailing issues his previous employer had purportedly created for him. He informed BBC News NI that his Google post “explained the ordeal that I went through”. In late October, Mr. Ballentine traveled back to the UAE for a brief vacation, at which time he was promptly arrested on suspicion of slander. The care worker has been released from detention, but he is unable to depart the UAE until the legal proceedings against him are concluded. He was moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, where he must now await the resolution of his case, either through a court hearing or the dismissal of the charges. Mr. Balletine informed BBC News NI that he has found encouragement in the cross-party backing for his case in Northern Ireland, which includes support from UUP councillor Trevor Wilson and DUP MLA Kieth Buchanan. Furthermore, the former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Sir Reg Empey, has also intervened. Sir Reg dispatched a letter to Hamish Falconer MP, Labour’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East. The letter asks: “Can you advise what steps your department is taking to secure Mr Ballentine’s free passage back to the United Kingdom?” A response to this letter has not yet been received. Mr. Ballentine further stated: “I am hoping the UK government and their embassies can continue to become more involved, and politicians highlighting the case is an important part of that.“For now, I’m keeping in contact with my family as much as I can, but my parents are waking up everyday day asking – ‘when will our son return home?’ I hope we can answer that soon.”