LIBERAL Senator Helen Kroger has questioned whether Australia has put its business relationship with the United Arab Emirates ahead of its commitment to human rights, after yesterday raising concerns about the on-going house arrest of two Australian businessmen and Qantas's recent deal with the Emirates Airlines.
Senator Kroger was advocating the release of two Australian businessmen, Matthew Joyce and Marcus Lee, who have been facing corruption charges since 2009 over a deal with Gold Coast based property company Sunland in the Arab Kingdom.
Senator Kroger said that Mr Joyce was initially held in solitary confinement for seven days after initially appearing at a Dubai police station for questioning.
“He did not see light of day once in this period. The room was two by three metres, with no windows bathroom and a grass mat in the corner for a bed. When he was finally allowed to see his wife a month later he was white, clammy and weeping, with sores from the cold floor and malnutrition.''
Mr Joyce and Mr Lee were arrested after a $14 million “introductory fee'' was allegedly extracted from the Sunland Group that supposedly should have enabled it to secure a waterfront space in the failed Dubai Mark II development. Several events in recent months had bolstered the men's hopes the charges against them would be dropped.
In early June judge Clyde Croft handed down a scathing decision in the Victorian Supreme Court against Sunland Group, which was attempting to recover the $14m in a civil action from Mr Joyce and another Australian businessman, Angus Reed, who left Dubai and has been charged in absentia Justice. Last week Justice Croft also ordered that Sunland pay costs in the case, which was factually similar to the Dubai criminal case.
However despite the Dubai judge being unable to reach a decision on the criminal case, the men remain under house arrest with their families unable to leave the country.
The Victorian senator said that although she welcomed the economic prospects of the recent Qantas agreement with the Dubai-based Emirates, but she was concerned Australia was betraying its record of upholding human rights.
“As a senator in this place, I cannot put the commercial interests of our premier carrier before the human rights and safekeeping of Australian citizens which are still under threat today. It is still happening in Dubai as we speak.''
Senator Kroger also pointed to the UAE's treatment of homosexuals and its anti-Israeli policies as evidence of human rights concerns in the country.
“I refer to Article 177 of the Penal Code of Dubai that imposes imprisonment of up to 10 years on consensual sodomy will there be warnings to Gay Australians transiting through Dubai?
“There are potential issues for Australians of Jewish decent and for Australian Christians who have made pilgrimage to Israel.
“As the UAE is a participant in the Arab League boycott of Israel, concerns exists for any Australians that may have the stamp of Israel in their passport. The same concern applies to dual Australia-Israel citizens who carry an Israeli passport,'' Senator Kroger told the Parliament.
