UAE denies torture claims of three jailed Brits

The UAE has strongly denied allegations that three Britons held in Dubai were tortured by police, saying the claims are "baseless".

The UAE's Embassy in the UK issued a statement after media in the UK published stories this week claiming the men were subjected to beatings and electric shocks following their arrest on drugs charges last summer.

UK-based charity Reprieve claimed Grant Cameron and Karl Williams, both from London, and Suneet Jeerh, from Essex, all aged 25, were still being held in the UAE on drugs charges, over seven months on from their ordeal.

It also said the men signed documents in Arabic after being subjected to beatings, threatened by having guns put to their heads, and, in the case of Williams, having electric shocks administered to the testicles.

But the UAE Embassy denied the claims, saying in a statement published by news agency WAM: "The UAE is aware of allegations of torture of three British citizens by police in Dubai.

"An internal investigation was conducted and these allegations were found to be baseless.

"The Dubai authorities, however, continue to cooperate with the British Foreign Office and welcome additional reviews to investigate the matter."

The statement added: "The authorities and judiciary in Dubai take all allegations of torture and alleged police abuse very seriously. Such behaviour is against the law and where it is found to have occurred, those responsible are punished."

The Embassy said: "At the moment, the drug possession charges that these allegations relate to is now before the courts and it is for the established legal process to run its course in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Dubai authorities continue to provide full cooperation with the UK embassy on this matter."

Reprieve lawyer Marc Calcutt said: “The idea that young British tourists on holiday can find themselves arrested and tortured in this way is truly appalling.

"The Dubai authorities need to immediately drop the charges against the men and conduct an independent investigation into how these terrible events occurred."