Britons 'tortured by Dubai police'

Three British men who have been held for seven months without trial on drugs charges in Dubai were tortured by police with beatings and electric shocks, a human rights charity has claimed.

Grant Cameron and Karl Williams, both 25 and from London, and Suneet Jeerh, 25, from Essex, were arrested while on holiday on July 10 last year by police who claimed to have found a quantity of a synthetic cannabis known as "spice" in their car.

The men signed documents in Arabic - a language none of them understands - after being threatened by having guns put to their heads and in Williams' case, having electric shocks administered to the testicles, Reprieve lawyer Marc Calcutt said.

They have denied charges of "consumption and possession with intent to distribute" and will appear at their first trial hearing on Thursday after spending seven months in custody.

In a draft witness statement provided to Mr Calcutt, Williams said: "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.

"Once I had been knocked to the ground, the police picked me up and put me on the bed. They pulled down my trousers, spread my legs and started to electrocute my testicles. It was unbelievably painful. I was so scared.

"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."

The torture took place in the desert, it was claimed, where the men were initially taken after their arrest, and subsequently in a hotel room. Williams and Cameron have been held at Port Rashid police station since their arrest, while Jeerh was moved and is now in Al Awir Central Jail.

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

"Being electrocuted in the testicles is about as brutal a torture as can be imagined. The Dubai authorities need to immediately drop the charges against the men and conduct an independent investigation into how these terrible events occurred. If they do not, I am sure this story will linger in people's memories - particularly when it comes to booking their holidays."