Tracy denies reports of ill-treatment in jail

Speaking to mediapersons at a Press conference organised by her lawyers Al Shali Advocates, she said : "I was treated very well and received very good medical attention, which I found was not exclusive to me, but was the general treatment given to all detainees." She also observed that it was common practice in the UAE for each prison to have its own medical team to attend to the medical needs of detainees any time.

Tracy said she was arrested at Dubai International Airport for a passport "irregularity" and that she was subsequently subjected to a urine test which revealed traces of codeine.

Recommended For You

Dubai Chambers opens New York office to strengthen UAE-US business ties

Watch: UAE President meets Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai Crown Prince

UAE vs Iraq: Luanzinho's goal leads to hard-fought draw in World Cup playoff

UAE President honours first Emirati family to donate their 5-year-old child’s organs

NMC Healthcare offers free health checks on World Diabetes Day

 

Refuting all that appeared in the British media about her being ill-treated while in detention, she said it was a new experience for her "due to the differences in law in UAE and Britain."

"In Britain, the police read out the rights of the suspect before arresting him or her. Therefore, when I was arrested at the airport, I didn't know if I was an accused or not," she said, adding that at the time of arrest, she felt very weak, and she refused to be handcuffed.

She said that at the time of arrest, she did not have enough money to buy her requirements, but the Dubai Police were very civil in accompanying her to the bank to facilitate withdrawal of cash from her account. She praised the Dubai Police for this gesture, and said that in fact, this kind of behaviour can't be found in any police force around the world.

Referring to the routine practice of the police in taking the possessions of any accused, she said she had voluntarily given it to the police and that there was no force involved in it.

On the issue of the cross, she said she had asked the prison authorities to return the cross so that she could use it for prayer, but her request was turned down. Subsequently, her lawyers informed her that the action of the prison authorities was in line with international laws on prisons. The cross, made of metal, was not returned while she was a detainee since it was considered a security risk, and was not a deliberate rejection of her request.

Tracy also denied allegations in British newspapers that the prison authorities had imposed on her the Holy Quran when she was a detainee. "The British media misunderstood the entire issue. In fact, I sought a copy of the book on Islam, but by mistake they brought me a book in Tagalog language (Filipino). I then asked them for an English version."

Tracy said she did not mean any offence when she spoke of dogs in Britain enjoying rights. "It is the truth since animals in Britain are very pampered. I provide my dog with mineral water which is not available to me," she said, by way of explanation.

Replying to a question raised by Khaleej Times as to why her case was accompanied with such publicity, she said she had appointed a private lawyer to follow up her case in Britain, besides having a friend in the media. "They supported me and presented my case for public opinion in Britain," she said, adding: "My lawyer Stephen Jakobi advised me not to speak to the media in UAE, but I gave interviews to the media so that they could get my side of the story."

Salem Al Shali, Tracy's lawyer in Dubai, said: "We are sure from the way the case has moved that the Public Prosecutor will not appeal against the ruling of the Dubai Court."Speaking about the publicity for the case in the British media, he said the Courts here deal with any case in a fair manner, and are not influenced by such media campaigns.