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Two Ohio brothers, one an Air Pressure veteran, have been sentenced to spend 4 months in a Dubai jail after an incident involving ingesting on a yacht in June, a criminal offense within the United Arab Emirates.
Radha Stirling, CEO of human rights group Detained in Dubai and an advocate for Joseph and Joshua Lopez, alleges the brothers have been drugged and robbed on the identical night time because the ingesting that landed them in jail, and they’re calling on U.S. lawmakers, together with Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance, for assist. The drugging allegations have but to be formally confirmed.
“Sen. Vance’s workplace has been in fixed communication with the State Division, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the US and the constituents’ household,” Vance spokesperson Parker Magid instructed Fox Information Digital. “Sen. Vance is monitoring the as-yet-unresolved authorized proceedings rigorously.”
Stirling stated the Lopez brothers are interesting their sentence, alleging they have been “focused by scammers whereas on trip in Dubai.”
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Joseph Lopez, an Ohio Air Pressure veteran and father, is detained in Dubai together with his brother, Joshua, for ingesting on a yacht. (Detained in Dubai)
“Whereas native criminals goal vacationers with what seems to be the help of regulation enforcement, Dubai is much from the ‘protected vacationer vacation spot’ it’s marketed as,” Stirling stated.
The State Division instructed Fox Information Digital in a press release it’s conscious of the Lopez brothers’ current arrests.
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“We take our position in aiding U.S. residents overseas critically and are monitoring the state of affairs,” a spokesperson stated. “As a consequence of privateness and different concerns, now we have no additional remark right now. U.S. residents are topic to the legal guidelines of the overseas nations they go to or reside in, even when these legal guidelines differ from U.S. regulation.”
The State Division instructed Fox Information Digital in a press release it’s conscious of the Lopez brothers’ current arrests. (Instagram/ Joshua Lopez)
Neither the UAE Embassy nor the UAE vacationer police responded to inquiries from Fox Information Digital.
The State Division has a Degree 2 journey advisory listed for the UAE on account of threats of terrorism. The State Division’s web site for the UAE notes that alcohol is “very restricted” in sure non-public areas, and “[p]ublic drunkenness and driving below the affect, no matter one’s blood alcohol content material degree, are thought of very critical offenses.”
Joseph Lopez, 24, has a child at dwelling in the US. (Detained in Dubai)
“Individuals arrested on alcohol-related offenses are repeatedly detained for a lot of days as they await a court docket listening to. Penalties might embrace hefty jail sentences, substantial fines and, for Muslims (even these holding U.S. citizenship), lashings,” the web site states.
The State Division additionally notes the nation’s “strict” legal guidelines on medicine, public decency, images, social media utilization and LGBTQ-related actions or preferences.
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Stirling stated if the brothers’ enchantment is unsuccessful, Joseph, a veteran and 24-year-old father, and Joshua “face months in Dubai jails infamous for human rights abuses.”
Joshua and Joseph Lopez have been sentenced to spend 4 months in a Dubai jail for ingesting on a yacht, however the brothers alleged they have been drugged. (Instagram/ Joshua Lopez)
“Guests are flocking into Dubai and going through probably the most ridiculous costs for alleged crimes they haven’t even dedicated. Final yr, we noticed Tierra Allen focused by a rental automobile firm, Elizabeth de las Santos focused by an immigration officer and Peter Clark detained for residual cannabis present in his blood that he’d legally smoked in Las Vegas weeks earlier than flying,” Stirling stated.
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She is urgent the US to “enhance journey warnings” for People going to Dubai.
“Not solely will they be robbed and extorted, however they’ll often find yourself in jail too,” she stated.
Fox Information’ Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.
