Friends of the British football fan arrested and detained in the United Arab Emirates have called on the Gulf state’s government to allow him to return home safely to the UK after officials suggested he beat himself up. While he was there he got a ticket for an Asian Cup match between Qatar and Iraq on 22 January. He told Lokie he had been arrested and beaten following the match and accused of promoting Qatar by wearing a football shirt bearing the Qatar logo. We are advised that he has since admitted those offences and will now be processed through the UAE courts.”The official added: “He was categorically not arrested for wearing a Qatar football shirt. Offenders could be imprisoned and subject to a substantial fine.”The sanctions for “promoting” Qatar are linked to the breaking off of diplomatic relations between the two countries in May 2017.

Source: The Guardian February 06, 2019 14:29 UTC