Consul General Visits Detained American in Dubai
May 31, 2012, Abu Dhabi – As part of the U.S. government’s concern for detained American citizen Zack Shahin, Consul General Justin Siberell, along with a consular officer, today visited Mr. Shahin at Dubai Central Jail. Mr. Shahin has been engaged in a hunger strike since May 14. He has been imprisoned since 2008.
Speaking after his visit, Mr. Siberell said, “We are gravely concerned about Mr. Shahin’s health after more than two weeks on hunger strike.” Moreover, he added, “The United States is concerned that he was detained for more than a year without formal charges, and that he has not been released on bail that has been approved in the past. The handling of his case also causes concern about whether Mr. Shahin is receiving equal treatment as measured against other defendants accused of financial crimes in the UAE.”
The United States has repeatedly raised serious concerns about Mr. Shahin’s case. Most recently, on May 23, 2012, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs expressed these concerns to the UAE Ambassador to the United States.