Britons say they were let down by UK diplomats after being 'tortured' by Dubai police

It has emerged that UK diplomats dealt with allegations that British tourists were 'tortured' by police while on holiday in Dubai simply by sending a note to other officials.

British diplomats allegedly dealt with the allegations by sending a note to Dubai's Minsitry of Foreign Affairs 12 days after the arrests. They admit that they did nothing else until the end of October, when they sent another note.

However, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office told the Daily Mail: "We have raised, and continue to raise, these allegations at the most senior levels."

The Daily Mail reports that Grant Cameron, Karl Williams and Suneet Jeerh say they were beaten, stripped and given electric shocks by police when they were arrested in July.

Police say that they found synthetic cannabis, known as 'spice', in their car. However, Mr Cameron and Mr Williams, both 25 and from Wanstead, East London, deny possessing and dealing in spice, and Mr Jeerh, 24, from Ilford, denies possession.

The human rights charity Reprieve has now got involved and BBC News reports that the three men all signed documents in Arabic that they did not understand after being threatened with guns.

Then men have spent seven months in custody pending trial and face up to four years in prison if convicted of consumption, or 10-15 years if convicted of possession.

Reprieve lawyer Marc Calcutt told BBC News: "Under certain circumstances they could be sentenced to death."

According to Mr Calcutt, Mr Williams said in a draft witness statement: "I remember that the police put a towel on my face so I could not see. They kept telling me I was going to die, I was so scared."

He said that he was then placed on a bed and had electric shocks administered to his testicles.

He said in the statement: "It was unbelievably painful. I was so scared."

He said: "Then they took off the towel and I could see that there was a gun pointed at my head. All I could think was that the gun in my face could go off if the policeman slipped, and it would kill me. I started to believe that I was going to die in that room."

It is alleged that the torture took place in the desert, where the men were initially taken after their arrest, and then in a hotel room.

Mr Calcutt told The BBC: "They still don't know what they have signed and what they have admitted to."

Related articles:

Three British tourists tortured by police on holiday in Dubai

Couple caught kissing on Dubai beach jailed for a year