Briton Luke Symons has been illegally detained in Yemen since 2017.
Briton Luke Symons has been illegally detained in Yemen since 2017.
Briton Luke Symons has been illegally detained in Yemen since 2017.
Briton Luke Symons has been illegally detained in Yemen since 2017.

British minister calls for release of prisoners held by Houthis


Paul Peachey
  • English
  • Arabic

A UK minister has called for a Briton in a Houthi jail in Yemen to be freed as part of a release of political prisoners in the run up to Ramadan.
Luke Symons has been held since 2017 and accused of spying for the UK but he has never been put on trial.

Foreign office minister James Cleverly said it was more important than ever to release him because of the risk of coronavirus.
"As Ramadan approaches, we urge the Houthis to release all political prisoners now," he said in a tweet.

“This must include Luke Symons, a British national illegally detained in Yemen since 2017. Given the risks of coronavirus, it is more important than ever that Luke is reunited with his family.”


He also cited the promise  by Houthis last month to free Baha'i prisoners including Hamid bin Haydara who was arrested on December 2013 and was described as a "destroyer of Islam and religion".
"Almost a month has passed and they are still not free," said the minister.

Mr Symons, originally from Cardiff, Wales, moved to Yemen after converting to Islam and was teaching as war in the country intensified.

He was arrested at a security checkpoint in the capital in April 2017 after several failed attempts to leave the country with his Yemeni wife and their young son to escape the fighting.

He was only detained because he was carrying a British passport when he was stopped, his family says.
An investigation found no evidence that Mr Symons was involved in espionage, according to a document signed by a member of the Houthis' top decision-making body.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Results

2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.

3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.

4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m

Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m

Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000