British dad ‘tortured in hellhole Dubai jail’ with family begging for ‘proof he is safe’

Ryan Pepper was allegedly treated inhumanely at the hands of UAE authorities

The family of a British dad are begging for him to be freed after he allegedly faced torture in a Dubai jail, Metro can reveal.

Ryan Pepper, 27, has allegedly been beaten, threatened and psychologically abused after he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) more than seven months ago.

A report by legal advocates Detained in Dubai – seen by Metro – says that handwritten notes smuggled out of the UAE detention facility claimed he was living in ‘hell’.

The human rights group also claim British officials have struggled to get private access to the dad following safeguarding concerns raised by his devastated family.

Ryan Pepper’s family are begging for proof he is alive

They have also raised his case with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, as well as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

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Sister Chloe Pepper, who has spoken to him over the phone, said: ‘At first we were trying to stay positive.

‘But then Ryan started telling us people had been beaten, isolated, threatened and denied communication. He sounded terrified. We genuinely began fearing he was going to die in there.’

Ryan, a dad-of-two from Ashford, Kent, was arrested and locked up in a UAE ‘hell hole’ on November 3, 2025.

His family do not know why he was detained, and they believe the Foreign Office does not know either.

A note from the dad was allegedly smuggled out of the police detention facility detailing allegations of mistreatment in the jail.

According to Detained in Dubai, Ryan wrote that ‘everyone was beaten up’ and described the jail as ‘hell’.

A note allegedly smuggled out of the prison claimed that ‘everyone was beaten up’. (Picture: supplied to Metro)

He also claimed police had ‘kidnapped and robbed’ detainees, and repeatedly suggested he could not safely explain what was happening in writing because communications were monitored.

Another detainee in the jail allegedly contacted the family directly, telling them Ryan was held in confinement for 20 days and physically abused.

The fellow inmate also told Detained in Dubai that officials allegedly used pliers to rip out four of his front teeth.

‘So many scenarios went through my head’

Chloe said the family were denied calls with Ryan until they spoke for the first time on May 13.

She said: ‘Even though I was getting these handwritten notes from him, it was at the back of my mind that if they had been backdated and were made to make it look like he’s alive and he isn’t.

‘So many scenarios went through my head. So to hear his voice and know it was actually him… [I] can’t describe the feeling of relief I felt. But [I was] also sad because of what he’s endured.’

During that call, he allegedly described ‘inhumane’ treatment by authorities and said he was ‘more worried than ever’ that he was going to be killed.

Chloe has spoken with Ryan over the phone where he described his treatment in the detention centre

Detained in Dubai says Ryan was taken to hospital during his time in the UAE jail, but that authorities claimed this was due to complications from a previous surgery.

Chloe said: ‘We are begging for proof our loved one is safe. No family should have to live like this.’

Detained in Dubai claims that British Embassy officials met Ryan on February 16, but that UAE officials were there supervising the visit.

The group told Metro that British diplomats made a surprise visit to the detention centre yesterday, where they had an unsupervised meeting with Ryan, during which he discussed his alleged mistreatment.

Chloe said the family no longer trust official reassurances regarding his welfare.

She added: ‘We kept being told Ryan was okay. Then Ryan told us he had disclosed horrific abuse directly to officials. He said he felt unheard. He said meetings weren’t private. That completely shattered our confidence.’

Ryan’s case has been raised with the UN Special Rapporteur on torture

Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, said: ‘The Foreign Office continues relying on reassurances obtained in environments where detainees may be terrified to speak honestly.

‘British officials cannot meaningfully assess torture allegations if meetings are monitored by the same authorities accused of abuse.’

She continued: ‘British citizens are walking blindly into a system that the UK government knows carries serious risks of arbitrary detention and abuse.

‘The family say they are now living in constant fear that Ryan will become another British casualty of the UAE detention system.’

Although Ryan has no idea why he was arrested, Stirling says that he was detained alongside about 15 people.

She claimed that sometimes authorities arrest dozens of people as they investigate one issue, leaving some innocent people in prison for lengthy periods of time.

The Foreign Office and the United Arab Emirates embassy in London have been contacted for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.

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