DUBAI,— A British father of two has been held in a United Arab Emirates detention facility for more than seven months without explanation, reporting beatings, threats and psychological abuse while British officials struggle to obtain private access to him, an advocacy group said.

Ryan Pepper, 27, of Ashford, Kent, was arrested on Nov. 3, 2025. His family and the group Detained in Dubai say he remains locked up with no clear charges filed against him.

In handwritten notes smuggled out of custody, Pepper wrote that the facility was “Hell” and that police had “kidnapped and robbed” detainees.

He told his family “everyone was beaten up” and warned relatives against traveling to Dubai to see him. He indicated he could not write freely because communications were being monitored, Detained in Dubai reported.

His sister Chloe said the family initially expected him to be sent home quickly. Over time, his messages grew darker.

“At first we were trying to stay positive,” Chloe said. “But then Ryan started telling us people had been beaten, isolated, threatened and denied communication. He sounded terrified. We genuinely began fearing he was going to die in there.”

The family said Pepper was held for months without phone access. They relied on handwritten notes and secondhand messages from fellow detainees to piece together his situation.

One detainee later contacted the family directly, telling them Pepper had spent roughly 20 days in confinement and had been physically abused.

Pepper was taken to hospital at one point during his detention. He later described beatings that damaged his teeth and required medical treatment.

UAE authorities told British officials his hospitalization was linked to complications from a prior surgery.

The family said they later received information indicating his injuries came from assaults in custody.

British Embassy officials arranged an in-person welfare visit but it was later cancelled. Officials cited what they described as “short-term restrictions.”

Subsequent embassy interactions were monitored and not conducted privately, the family said.

Pepper told relatives that detainees had been warned before meetings with British officials and that he did not feel safe speaking openly.

Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, criticized the British government’s handling of the case.

“The Foreign Office continues relying on reassurances obtained in environments where detainees may be terrified to speak honestly,” Stirling said.

“British officials cannot meaningfully assess torture allegations if meetings are monitored by the same authorities accused of abuse.”

Stirling drew comparisons to the case of Albert Douglas, another British national detained in Dubai.

The United Nations ruled Douglas was arbitrarily detained after enduring beatings, humiliation, psychological abuse and denial of medication. His case was later referred to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

“The UAE authorities lied repeatedly in Albert Douglas’s case,” Stirling said. “They told British officials he was fine while he was being beaten and psychologically abused.”

Stirling also cited the death of Lee Bradley Brown, who died in Dubai custody after being beaten and denied proper care.

“How many warnings does the British government need?” Stirling said.

“British citizens need to understand that if they are arrested in Dubai, even over social media activity, financial disputes or minor allegations, they may face prolonged unlawful detention, violent abuse and potentially torture.”

Detained in Dubai said it had filed urgent submissions to United Nations torture mechanisms regarding Pepper’s treatment.

His member of parliament, Joseph Sojan, has been contacted by both the advocacy group and the family.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Detained in Dubai it had been unable to determine the reasons for Pepper’s detention but had been informed by Pepper directly of the abuse he reported suffering.

Pepper asked officials to raise his concerns with UAE authorities, Stirling said, adding that response was insufficient.

“This is a repeat pattern,” Stirling said. “The FCDO must issue official warnings through their travel advisory.”

Pepper’s children continue asking when their father is coming home. His mother has become physically unwell from stress.

“We are begging for proof our loved one is safe,” Chloe said. “No family should have to live like this.”

(With files from Detained in Dubai)

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