Latest news with #Cornelius'
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Family of Dubai prisoner Ryan Cornelius turns to EU for help
Irish family members of Ryan Cornelius, a British businessman jailed for fraud in the United Arab Emirates, whose imprisonment has been labelled unfair by the United Nations, have sought to enlist the help of MEPs and EU officials in an effort to have him released. Heather Cornelius and Chris Pagett, respectively Ryan's wife and brother-in-law, visited the European Parliament in Brussels to ask MEPs to help put pressure on the UAE to release him. Since Heather has Irish roots and holds an Irish passport, they feel the EU is their only avenue left to help secure Cornelius' release. Cornelius is a property developer who was jailed over a $501 million bank loan from the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) that he and another British businessman were using to fund investment programmes in the Gulf. DIB subsequently reset the loan, claiming that it was not being used for the purposes intended and that fake receipts were being provided to cover the expenditure. A settlement was reached under which new repayment terms were set and Cornelius' property was put up as collateral. He was nevertheless detained for 10 years in 2008 as part of an alleged bank fraud case, with his detention extended by 20 years in 2018. A United Nations working group on arbitrary detention ruled in 2022 that Cornelius' trial was unfair and his imprisonment 'arbitrary', contravening eight separate articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His case has also been taken up by Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, the group founded by Bill Browder, who accompanied his family members to Brussels, and said Cornelius is the longest wrongfully imprisoned British citizen abroad. In an interview with Euronews, the brother-in-law of Ryan Cornelius described his life behind bars in Dubai. A former government official, Chris Pagett said Ryan's health was deteriorating, but that he has remained mentally strong due to frequent phone calls with Heather his wife and their three children. "The most important thing is to talk to Heather. He talks to her once a day," Pagett said, adding that it is a 'gross abuse of process' that the British government has not done more to fight for Cornelius' release. "Ryan's case was basically an irritant, an obstacle in the way of their desire for, you know, close commercial relations with the UAE," he added. Asked to comment by Euronews, the British government said that the Foreign Secretary had brought his case up with the UAE Foreign Minister on 7 December. Back in January 2025, Hamish Falconer the Under-Secretary of State said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was providing Cornelius with consular assistance and took 'any reports of human rights violations, including coercion and poor prison conditions very seriously'. But Heather Cornelius has turned to Brussels in efforts to see her husband released, and told Euronews how hard daily life has been for her husband. "It is a dreadful way of life, you know, you're shouted at to line up at 5.30 in the morning. You know, you get absolutely awful food, the same chicken and rice every day, six days a week, and I think eggs on Friday. He hardly ever gets outside, maybe twice a month outside into fresh air,' she said. Irish MEPs Barry Andrews from Renew Europe and Seán Kelly from the European Peoples Party met with Heather and Chris in the European Parliament. They hope to put Ryan's case on the European Parliament agenda with a resolution so they can bring it to the EU foreign chief Kaja Kallas and therefore make Dubai change how they look at this ongoing detention. "The UN Human Rights Council have very clearly said that this is an injustice, and he should never been locked up in the first place, never mind have his detention extended," Barry Andrews told Euronews adding that in Dubai, rules state that anyone over 70 should be released in any case. "We are going to do everything we can to shed light on the case and hopefully to have Ryan released as soon as possible," he concluded.
Middle East Eye
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
British MPs call for sanctions on UAE officials over detention of UK national
British MPs have written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy urging him to sanction Emirati officials over the 16-year detention of a UK national on "dubious" charges. Ryan Cornelius, 70, was convicted with three other expatriates in 2011 of defrauding Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) and is still in detention. In 2018 when their original sentence was due to end, a judge extended their prison sentences by 20 years in response to an application by DIB. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2022 ruled that Cornelius' detention was arbitrary and violated international law. A letter sent last week to Lammy, signed by parliamentarians including former Conservative party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy, urged the government to take "immediate and decisive action, including the imposition of Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible for his continued imprisonment". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters UK enrages Sudanese army government by inviting UAE to London conference Read More » Magnitsky sanctions target individuals responsible for corruption or rights violation. They would bar DIB's chair Mohammed al-Shaibani, who is also director general of the Dubai Ruler's Court, a UAE government body, from entering the UK. DIB said it had acted "properly" and "in accordance with applicable laws at all times". UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to bolster Britain's diplomatic relations with Gulf states and seek fresh investment from their sovereign wealth funds. But UK-UAE relations are understood to be under strain due to the UAE's role in Sudan, where it has supplied the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with weapons and other goods throughout a war that began in April 2023 and has led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis. Starmer and Lammy have both visited the UAE since Labour entered government. The Foreign Office told the Financial Times that Lammy discussed Cornelius' case with his UAE counterpart last December.
CBS News
19-03-2025
- CBS News
Baltimore man sentenced to 48 years for altering evidence in 2020 attempted murder
A Baltimore man was sentenced to 48 years in prison Tuesday after altering evidence in an attempted murder, according to the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office. Court documents show in January 2020, Jimmy Murphy, 30, and his co-conspirator Cornelius Bruce tried to get revenge against Christopher Brown for the murder of Cordelle Bruce , Cornelius' brother. Murphy and Cornelius drove a rented F-150 to the 1000 block of Reverdy Road where they found Christopher Brown and began to open fire, according to court documents. During the shooting, a bullet meant for Brown hit and killed Cornelius. Court documents show that in an attempt to cover up his actions, Murphy drove the rented pickup to an abandoned field at 2801 Saint Lo Drive and set the truck on fire with Cornelius' body inside. Baltimore City Firefighters responded to the scene where they found the truck on fire, according to the State's Attorney's Office. After they extinguished the fire, crews found Cornelius' body inside the vehicle. Before setting the fire, Murphy was captured on video filing up a red gas can at a gas station blocks away from the scene, according to court documents. The medical examiner determined that Cornelius died from a single gunshot wound. Officials were unable to determine if he could have been saved if Murphy attempted to call for help rather than trying to dispose of evidence, the State's Attorney's Office said. Christopher Brown, 24, and co-conspirator Darran Horton, 25, were charged with the murder of Cornelius' brother, Cordelle, which occurred a week before Cornelius died. According to court records, Brown and Horton had a dispute with Cordelle over a botched marijuana deal. During their trial, prosecutors said "Brown, Horton, and another individual hunted Cordelle Bruce down" and fatally shot him. Brown and Horton were convicted in September 2022 and are currently serving their sentences, according to the State's Attorney's Office. During Murphy's trial, prosecutors argued that his disregard for the value of human life and his decision to seek revenge increased the tragedy experienced by the Bruce family. They further argued that an appropriate sentence would be one that deters others from seeking retaliation, which contributes to the cycle of violence in Baltimore, according to the State's Attorney.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Marseille president's corruption rant sparks backlash from French soccer federation, referees
The French soccer federation president is joining forces with the country's referees after Marseille president Pablo Longoria accused them of being corrupt in a bitter rant that followed his team's 3-0 loss at Auxerre in the French league. This is not the first time that Marseille officials have questioned refereeing decisions this season but the club had never gone that far in its accusations. Longoria was deeply frustrated after Marseille's fifth league loss that left it lagging 10 points behind Paris Saint-Germain, the runaway leader. He spoke about 'true corruption' and suggested that Marseille was the victim of an organized plot. PSG has one match in hand and can extend its lead over second-place Marseille to 13 points with a win at Lyon later Sunday. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the remarks made by the president and officials of Olympique de Marseille against French refereeing in general and the referee of yesterday's match, Jérémy Stinat, in particular, to whom I offer my full support," Philippe Diallo, the soccer federation president, said in a statement. 'Calling into question the integrity of our referees is defamatory, unacceptable and reprehensible,' he added. 'Such comments seriously damage the image of our league.' The referee's union, SAFE, was infuriated by Longoria's comments and announced it would ask the federation's ethics committee to look into the matter, and take legal action. 'Lawsuits will be filed for defamation. And against all those behind the hate messages and death threats received since last night,' the union said. Longoria could not accept the second-half dismissal of Derek Cornelius for a second yellow card. Marseille was trailing 1-0 at the time and conceded two more goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. Brazilian defender Jubal scored both, including one from the spot, as Auxerre ended a streak of three straight league wins for second-place Marseille. Earlier this year, Marseille director of football Mehdi Benatia was suspended for three months for his attitude toward Stinat during a French Cup loss against Lille when the referee served as the fourth official. Although he admitted Marseille did not play well and Auxerre deserved to win, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi said that Cornelius' sending off was 'scandalous.' 'The referee was not serene during the match,' De Zerbi said. 'Perhaps past controversies influenced his decisions during the match. None of the referees were up to scratch for a game of this level. I hope Cornelius' red card won't be seen outside France because it gives a bad image of French soccer.' Former Marseille player Fabrizio Ravanelli, now acting as the club's advisor, was also left fuming by the result and accused the game's referee of 'not knowing what he was doing.' Ravanelli also spoke out against previous refereeing decisions against Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi, who was suspended for the game against Auxerre. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Marseille president's corruption rant sparks backlash from French soccer federation, referees
The French soccer federation president is joining forces with the country's referees after Marseille president Pablo Longoria accused them of being corrupt in a bitter rant that followed his team's 3-0 loss at Auxerre in the French league. This is not the first time that Marseille officials have questioned refereeing decisions this season but the club had never gone that far in its accusations. Longoria was deeply frustrated after Marseille's fifth league loss that left it lagging 10 points behind Paris Saint-Germain, the runaway leader. He spoke about 'true corruption' and suggested that Marseille was the victim of an organized plot. PSG has one match in hand and can extend its lead over second-place Marseille to 13 points with a win at Lyon later Sunday. 'I condemn in the strongest possible terms the remarks made by the president and officials of Olympique de Marseille against French refereeing in general and the referee of yesterday's match, Jérémy Stinat, in particular, to whom I offer my full support,' Philippe Diallo, the soccer federation president, said in a statement. 'Calling into question the integrity of our referees is defamatory, unacceptable and reprehensible,' he added. 'Such comments seriously damage the image of our league.' The referee's union, SAFE, was infuriated by Longoria's comments and announced it would ask the federation's ethics committee to look into the matter, and take legal action. 'Lawsuits will be filed for defamation. And against all those behind the hate messages and death threats received since last night,' the union said. Longoria could not accept the second-half dismissal of Derek Cornelius for a second yellow card. Marseille was trailing 1-0 at the time and conceded two more goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. Brazilian defender Jubal scored both, including one from the spot, as Auxerre ended a streak of three straight league wins for second-place Marseille. Earlier this year, Marseille director of football Mehdi Benatia was suspended for three months for his attitude toward Stinat during a French Cup loss against Lille when the referee served as the fourth official. Although he admitted Marseille did not play well and Auxerre deserved to win, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi said that Cornelius' sending off was 'scandalous.' 'The referee was not serene during the match,' De Zerbi said. 'Perhaps past controversies influenced his decisions during the match. None of the referees were up to scratch for a game of this level. I hope Cornelius' red card won't be seen outside France because it gives a bad image of French soccer.' Former Marseille player Fabrizio Ravanelli, now acting as the club's advisor, was also left fuming by the result and accused the game's referee of 'not knowing what he was doing.' Ravanelli also spoke out against previous refereeing decisions against Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi, who was suspended for the game against Auxerre. ___
