“It’s been overwhelming and traumatising” - Tyrone’s Craig Ballentine (33) arrested for leaving a negative review in Dubai in his first media interview

A Co Tyrone man facing prison in Dubai has spoken of the traumatising moment he was arrested for writing a critical online review.

Craig Ballentine (33) from Cookstown was arrested three weeks ago when he landed in Abu Dhabi to visit friends and was transported to Dubai.

He had previously worked as a dog groomer in Dubai for six months, but left a critical Google review of his employer online.

In his first media interview, Mr Ballentine said he was terrified of facing prison and thanked politicians and families at home trying to help.

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“It’s just been very overwhelming and traumatising. One day you’re in good form and the next you’re not,” he told the Irish News.

“So I’m just trying to be optimistic and get home to family and friends as soon as possible.”

Recalling his arrest, he said he arrived in Abu Dhabi airport around 7am before he was taken to an immigration office and finally detained around 1am the following day.

“It was very confusing, I didn’t even know what was happening until a member of the police had told me what exactly had happened,” he said.

“I was very zoned out of things. I was thinking of every possibility about what could happen next.”

On the content of his Google review, he explained it was about his treatment after he was off sick from work with fibromyalgia.

“I can’t really go into too much detail,” he said.

“Basically I had given a sick note, but it was put down as absconding and I lost my job.”

While not being detained any longer, he is not permitted to leave the country and faces months of waiting for his court date.

“I don’t know what the outcome will be. Will it be prison? It’s quite a big deal to get my head around.”

His original plan had been to visit friends and volunteer with the Scouts organisation, which he had been a member of in Northern Ireland.

“I’m just trying to take it one day it a time. It’s almost a PTSD feeling. Today is the first time I’ve actually been out this week to meet one of my friends.

“She took me out to Marks & Spencer just to get that feel of home again. I am still very aware that even if I go to the shop, I still have that paranoia of ‘is someone coming to get me’ or ‘what’s around the corner?’”

On Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and the UK Foreign Office appealing on his behalf, he said: “It’s very much needed.

“I just ask them to think how they would feel if it was one of their family members.

“Michelle O’Neill has been helping us a lot in putting in a letter to the UAE embassy in London.

“Also, Trevor Wilson (UUP councillor) and Keith Buchanan (DUP MLA) have kept in contact with me as well as the Archbishop of Armagh who has been speaking to the Church of England.

“It just shows how much Northern Ireland really cares about their citizens.”

He added: “Mum and dad are very stressed, I’m sure you can imagine. My friends are very worried as well but they’re keeping in touch every single day.”

He also thanked Rhada Stirling from the Detained in Dubai group, who has been campaigning on his behalf.

Ms Stirling said other countries had been successful in applying diplomatic pressure in more complicated cases.

“When the government of Dubai is approached by another country, they tend to be quite welcoming of that communication,” she said.

“When they can see that it’s not an important case, that it is silly and reputationally damaging, they tend to solve them very quickly.

“So it comes down to the willingness of our country, do they want to make that phone call? Because as soon as they do they achieve good results.”

She added that “the punishment is often the process,” which can take up to a year for someone to be completely exonerated.

“It means people will spend a fortune on accommodation and lawyers when they’re unexpectedly forced to stay in a luxury city as well as the loss of their employment.”

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office commented: “We are providing support to a British man in the UAE. We have been in contact with his family and the local authorities.”