Laleh Sharavesh, (right) arrested at Dubai airport for “cybercrime” (facebook post about ex husband’s new wife.) Pictured here with daughter Paris
Widely criticised “cybercrime” laws in Dubai mean that a London single mum who has been arrested together with her 14 year old daughter at Dubai airport now faces up to two years in jail and a fine of £50,000 for two facebook posts she made in 2016 about her ex husband’s new wife.
She made the two posts while living in the UK.
Londoner Laleh Sharavesh, 55, was married to Portuguese husband Pedro for 18 years. They had lived in Dubai for 8 months where he worked for HSBC. She returned to London with their daughter Paris, and he was to join them once work commitments had been resolved.
A few months later, she was shocked and devastated to receive divorce papers. Shortly after, Laleh opened Facebook one morning and was shocked to see pictures of Pedro’s wedding to a 42- year -old Tunisian woman called Samah Al Hammadi.
“I had no idea he was getting married again, and so soon after our own marriage broke down,” says Laleh. “I reacted badly. I lashed out and wrote two unpleasant comments about his new wife on his Facebook page. I know I shouldn’t have. I should have behaved better, but I felt angry, betrayed and hurt. After 18 years of marriage, such a small amount of time apart, he was getting married so quickly. He didn’t even have enough respect for me to tell me in advance”.
The two offending comments were written in Farsi. They were:
“Khak bar sareh bishooret! Lanat be to. Mano vell kardi Barayeh in asbbb”
(I hope you go under the ground you idiot. Damn you. You left me for this horse)
“Ba yek horse aroosi kardi ahmagh”
(You married a horse you idiot)
Laleh’s anger subsided and she made a new life together in London with her daughter Paris. They live in Richmond, where Laleh works at a homeless shelter.
Recently Pedro passed away from a heart attack on March 3rd at the age of 51. Laleh and Paris flew to Dubai on the 10th of March to attend the funeral and pay her respects to the father of her daughter.
“We flew to Dubai where we were intending to stay for just five days, and were arrested immediately upon entry because Pedro’s new wife Samah had reported my old Facebook post to the police,” said Laleh.
The police wanted to take Laleh straight to police cells in Jebel Ali, but didn’t want the negative publicity of jailing the 14 –year- old daughter Paris.
Laleh has been trapped in Dubai since the 10th of March. Paris had to fly home alone on her scheduled flight five days later, and has been staying with relatives while her mother is stuck in Dubai.
“I have lost everything because of this,” Laleh tells us. “I have no money left after paying to stay in a hotel here for over a month. I have lost my job and am unable to pay for rent on the flat I live in with Paris, because of this we are about to lose the flat. I am even in debt to my family for over £5,000. My life is in ruins, and that is even before the huge fines and jail I am facing here. All of that is less important than being separated from my daughter, and that’s all I want now, just to be back with her”.
Radha Stirling, CEO of human rights organisation Detained In Dubai is officially representing Laleh.
She said in a statement:
“I have warned the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office that their advice to tourists is insufficient. When the UAE introduced Cybercrime laws, it rendered almost every visitor to the country a criminal.
“I have spoken with Laleh, her mother, sisters and daughter Paris. Their experience is heartbreaking. Not only has Paris lost her father, but in going to visit him to say her final goodbye, she wound up in a frightening Middle Eastern police station, and is now without her mother.
“Paris is writing a letter to Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE to appeal for her mother’s release. I also call on Sheikh Mohammed to ensure Laleh is swiftly reunited with her daughter in London and to review the content and application of the UAE’s cybercrime laws. I also call on Laleh’s MP Zac Goldsmith and Jeremy Hunt to enter into diplomatic discussions with the UAE to ensure Laleh’s safe return.
