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#Australian man detained in #Czech over #Qatar issued #QNB bounced cheque. He is now fighting #extradition and seeking to remove the #InterpolRedNotice. In the previous case of Alan Stephenson, Czech authorities ruled that it was a human rights violation that he was detained, but it seems they have not updated their process to account for #InterpolAbuse If you think you are at risk of an Interpol Red Notice, please check before travel! Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http://www.radhastirling.com CLAN - Crypto Legal Advocacy Network - https://www.bitclan.org/ Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international IPEX - Interpol & Extradition Reform & Defence Experts - https://www.ipexreform.com/ Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Chris Emms interview on USA extraterritorial application of domestic law in the persecution of crypto professionals. The US doesn’t want currencies it can’t control. Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http://www.radhastirling.com CLAN - Crypto Legal Advocacy Network - https://www.bitclan.org/ Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international IPEX - Interpol & Extradition Reform & Defence Experts - https://www.ipexreform.com/ Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

[Article by Hannah Lucinda Smith, Originally published at The Times, Friday June 03 2022] North Korea’s first cryptocurrency conference proffered an irresistible prize to digital currency evangelists. Held in Pyongyang in April 2019, it promised a rare glimpse into the hermit kingdom’s fabled cryptocurrency sector, which experts believe the country is using to help fund its weapons programmes. Three years on, that conference has sparked an extensive US investigation, which has already led to the conviction and 63-month imprisonment of Virgil Griffith, an American citizen and former developer with the blockchain ethereum, one of eight foreigners who attended. Now, the dragnet has also ensnared Christopher Emms, a Briton, who is awaiting an extradition hearing in Saudi Arabia having been detained there under an Interpol red notice. Others in the cryptocurrency sphere who were invited said that they were invited either by Cao de Benos or by people who said they were cryptocurrency developers in China — not by Emms. The US believes that North Korea’s sophisticated hacker army has amassed billions of dollars in cryptocurrency since 2017, much of it through cyberattack ransoms. British citizens are allowed to visit North Korea, and the UK is one of the few western states to maintain diplomatic relations. On his return from Pyongyang in April 2019, Emms was stopped at Gatwick and was questioned by police officers about his trip. When he got home, he called the MI6 hotline and asked whether he could offer any information. In late 2019, he met security services officers twice in the United Arab Emirates. “I felt they were trying to get to the bottom of whether any laws were broken,” Emms said. “They were very interested in the conference. But it was very casual: ‘Tell us about you. What did you see? What happened?’.” A couple of days later, one of the officers told Emms that they would not be taking the case any further. “He said don’t be silly, don’t mess up your life,” Emms recalled. But when Griffith was then indicted in the US in January 2020, Emms was listed as a co-conspirator. He hired a US lawyer, and offered to speak t0 prosecutors. They were not interested in talking to him. But everything seemed to change after Griffith pleaded guilty in last September, taking a deal in return for a reduced sentence. After he was sentenced last month, the prosecutors issued their indictment against Emms, by then detained in Saudi Arabia, and Cao de Benos, who remains on the run. Radha Stirling, the lawyer who is helping Emms fight his extradition, said the US’s target appears to be reigning in cryptocurrency, not Pyongyang. “American authorities are trying to creatively expand the legal applicability of the IEEPA (US sanctions legislation) to non-US persons; and they are doing it in Chris’s case through blatant intimidation.” Emms is now hoping to be allowed to return to Britain to fight his extradition. He is also applying to open a case against America at the UN tribunal for deprivation of liberty. “My reputation and Virgil Griffith’s is already ruined. I don’t have much left to lose,” he said. “But I can’t just go to the US and sit there and plead guilty. If I do, they will keep doing this to others.” The Times approached the US Department of Justice, the British Foreign Office and Treasury and Cao de Benos for comment. None had responded by the time of publication. Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com CLAN - Crypto Legal Advocacy Network - https://www.bitclan.org/ Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international IPEX - Interpol & Extradition Reform & Defence Experts - https://www.ipexreform.com/ Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Extradition expert Radha Stirling hosts first discussion with British citizen Christopher Emms on the Gulf in Justice Podcast. Chris was listed on Interpol's Red Notice database in February for allegedly "conspiring to violate" US sanctions when he attended a cryptocurrency conference in North Korea. Chris is not a US citizen and is not subject to US law. He is not required to know or learn US law. He violated NO British or international laws but the US is throwing their weight around, intimidating and bullying foreign citizens. Radha Stirling, CEO of Due Process International and IPEX Reform said "Emms and the expert allegedly answered specific questions about blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies for the DPRK audience, including individuals whom they understood worked for the North Korean government, proposed plans to create specialized “smart contracts” to serve the DPRK’s unique interests, and mapped out cryptocurrency transactions designed to evade and avoid United States sanctions, including by diagramming such transactions on a whiteboard for the North Korean audience." #FreeChrisEmms #FreeAssange #StateHarassment http://www.dueprocess.international http://www.ipexreform.com http://www.bitclan.org http://www.radhastirling.com

The US is feeling emboldened after persecution and near extradition of Julian Assange. Now, they're hunting a British citizen who LEGALLY attended a conference in North Korea that the British government approved. He's broken NO British or international laws and is NOT an American or even required to learn US law. It's a disgraceful overreach of FBI powers to be able to harass an innocent British citizen by listing him on Interpol and seeking to extradite him for "conspiring to violate" US sanctions he is not even required by law to follow. The US would NEVER accept any OTHER sovereign nation imposing their laws or values on US citizens so why would any other country give the US the right to do that to their citizens? If we do so, we are ceding sovereignty to America simply because they are willing to harass, blackmail and bully other nations and victims into submission and compliance. Christopher Emms from Reigate, Surrey is currently detained in Saudi Arabia fighting extradition to the US under a law that specifically only applies to US citizens. This is state harassment and it needs to stop before any country has the ability to pluck any citizen from another part of the world and jail them. Imagine if Saudi, Russia or China tried to do this? It would be a violation of international law. The US does not get a 'free pass' to violate international law. Britain and the rest of the world must stand up against the bullying and legal abuse of their citizens. If not, just make it official and become another state of the US. Radha Stirling, CEO of Due Process International who is assisting Mr Emms said "There are at least two objectives in the US case against Chris Emms, and sanctions against North Korea are only tertiary to those objectives. America, along with most Western governments, is increasingly interested in commandeering the cryptocurrency sphere for the introduction of CBDCs – digital money issued and controlled by the Federal Reserve and central banks. This necessitates the gradual elimination of independent cryptocurrencies, as well as establishing control over the blockchain and all mechanisms of digital transactions. Anyone who is involved in developing, distributing, or promoting technologies that enhance privacy or crypto autonomy, is likely to find themselves under pressure. In relation to this, the US is attempting to assume global jurisdiction over all issues pertaining to cryptocurrency, regardless of where a transaction or interaction takes place, and regardless of the nationalities of those involved. To this end, American authorities are trying to creatively expand the legal applicability of the IEEPA to non-US persons; and they are doing it in Chris’s case through blatant intimidation". #FreeChrisEmms #FreeAssange #StateHarassment http://www.dueprocess.international http://www.detainedindubai.org http://www.bitclan.org http://www.radhastirling.com

Danish citizen successfully removed from Interpol. A Danish citizen who was scammed out of $30,000 in the UAE and subjected to an abusive Red Notice as part of an extortion scheme, has had his name successfully removed from the Interpol database by Radha Stirling and Detained in Dubai. “This was a particularly outrageous case,” Stirling said, “Our client hired an attorney in the UAE to help collect debts he was owed; but instead of carrying out the work for which he had been paid $30,000, the attorney forged a document claiming my client owed him AED 13 million. He filed a police case, and proceeded to use the Power of Attorney granted to him by my client to have an associate plead guilty to fraud on my client’s behalf – all after he had already left the UAE.” Stirling, who has long been the leading critic of Interpol abuse, and is the founder of Interpol & Extradition Reform (IPEX), explained that the Danish national found himself subjected to a Red Notice by the international policing organisation at the behest of the UAE, “With the fraudulent confession made by this serial scamster in my client’s name, the court convicted him, and requested an Interpol Red Notice against him to seek his extradition. In Summer of last year, he was pulled over in a routine traffic stop by police in Denmark, only to discover that he was listed as an international fugitive by the UAE. He was forced to undergo extradition proceedings, which finally ended with Danish authorities dismissing the Red Notice; yet his Interpol listing remained, making international travel impossible.” ‘Denmark Faces Human Rights Issues over UAE Extradition Treaty’ says Expert Due Process Newsroom & Media Centre The Dane then contacted Detained in Dubai, which boasts a 100% success rate in the removal of wrongful Interpol listings. “We have well over a decade of experience combatting Interpol abuse, particularly that committed by the Gulf States,” Stirling said, “Countries like the UAE and Qatar are among the world’s top abusers of the data collection system; they habitually weaponise Red Notices as devices to extort money, harass, intimidate and threaten foreigners, and to affect a de facto expansion of their own jurisdiction. Our client in this case was fortunate to have discovered the Red Notice while in his home country; if he had been detained over the listing in any number of other jurisdictions, he would have likely been extradited and would be in an Emirati prison today for a crime he didn’t commit.” Interpol Red Notice Abuse - Expert Radha Stirling deletes another two Interpol Red Notices in January Due Process Newsroom & Media Centre Stirling cautions tourists, expats, and investors who travel to the Gulf to be aware of the dangers, “These are not countries with independent judiciaries, and due process is abysmally below global norms. As we saw in this case, it is disturbingly easy to falsify documents, level baseless allegations, and get convictions without evidence. Even mundane financial disputes can lead to a criminal case and an Interpol listing, sometimes without the individual ever knowing about it. The UAE and all of the Gulf States allow convictions in absentia, and accusations can be made against a person even when they are not in the country. This is why we strongly advise anyone visiting the UAE, or even anyone who ever has visited the UAE, to run a police check on their name and an Interpol database search to ensure that no cases exist without their knowledge. Unfortunately, the Interpol website does not provide complete listings, and this is just another aspect of that organisation’s lack of transparency which we have been lobbying to change. “A case like that of our recent client should never have been accepted by Interpol, but once they list a name, it is tremendously difficult to get it removed. Having a Red Notice severely restricts a person’s freedom of movement, and stigmatises them as if they are fugitives from justice. There is reputational damage, and often there can be devastating financial consequences resulting from an Interpol listing; yet Interpol continues to allow persistent abusers like the UAE to request Notices without cause, and a person can be listed in a matter of minutes, while disputing a listing can take months. We are just glad that our experience and expertise were able to resolve this matter; it is one of the best parts of our job when we get to celebrate with a client the successful resolution to their issues and congratulate them for their newfound freedom from an unjust Interpol listing.” BBC Scotland Conor Howard extradition to Qatar from Greece with Radha Stirling & Kenny MacAskill MP Home | IPEX Reform | Interpol & Extradition Reform, Expert Witness, Interpol Removal, Crisis Management, Legislative & Government Advisory Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

A British crypto expert faces extradition from Saudi to the US but lawyers and academics claim this would be a violation of international law as it impinges on the sovereignty of Britain. The US has increasingly sought to apply its own laws universally with increasing vigour. Just a short while ago, it was concerning when countries like Australia wanted to charge citizens with conduct in another country. The implications at the time were extremely concerning. Not only were people suddenly subject to the laws of the country they were visiting, but they were also subject to their own country’s laws. Although there was significant concern about the universal application of a country’s laws, the public was subdued with promises that it would just get “the real baddies, mostly child abusers”. Fast forward a couple of decades and we are seeing the very “slippery slope” analysts foresaw in the early days. Once the precedent for extraterritorial laws was accepted and experimented with, it didn’t take long for those powers and laws to be expanded. The US has been the worst offender. The Department of Justice (DOJ) decided to indict in absentia British national Christopher Emms alleging that he violated US sanctions against North Korea when he visited the country to attend a cryptocurrency conference that another US citizen attended. The 30 year old crypto expert, an advisor to British regulators and a frequent speaker, violated no British laws nor international laws when he attended the conference, but the DOJ listed Emms on Interpol’s Red Notice database during his visit to Saudi and has applied for his extradition under the IEEPA, a statute that specifies it only applies to “US persons”. US seeks extradition of British national over cryptocurrency conference: The case of Christopher Emms. Due Process Newsroom & Media Centre “After consultation with lawyers in the UK, Saudi and the US”, extradition expert Radha Stirling who is assisting Emms explains, “we are disappointed the US would challenge the sovereignty of the United Kingdom in seeking the extradition of a British citizen who has not violated any British or international laws. “If Saudi Arabia were to agree to the extradition request, they would also be in violation of international law and UN principles respecting sovereignty. The US has absolutely no right to apply their laws universally to foreign nationals and expect countries to surrender them. If Saudi and the UK do not stand up to this expansionist authoritarian mindset, they better start teaching US law at British schools”. At the time of the conference, the US President and his advisors had visited North Korea and were seeking to strengthen their relationship and perhaps even forge a friendship. “It was a different time”, Mr Emms recalled “the British foreign office saw no issues with citizens attending the conference and I made sure to check the advice in advance”. Stirling has called on the British government to request the dismissal of the indictment and extradition request, to preserve UK sovereignty, uphold international law and protect citizens against state harassment and legal abuse. Chris speaking at the World Blockchain Forum in Dubai Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Disgraced Saudi Prince, Turki bin Abdullah; now in prison for corruption; organised a secretive meeting at a luxury oasis in the desert 2 hours outside Riyadh in 2016, in what is suspected to have been a move to recruit support for a possible coup against the newly anointed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman; popularly referred to as MBS. The ornate resort was built exclusively for this purpose, but the contractors tasked with its construction were cheated out of payment, and subsequently persecuted for the sensitive knowledge they possess about the project. The Dubai based company established by a US resident, SDW Events LLC, was enlisted to design and build the “Tuwaiq Oasis” to host a billionaires investment conference allegedly to bolster Prince Turki bin Abdullah in his rivalry with MBS. The company was given a suspiciously tight and unrealistic deadline for the project’s completion – indicating that Turki’s plans were urgent and time-sensitive. The prince was already under investigation for using infrastructure projects to line his pockets, and MBS had made clear that he was committed to wage an unforgiving campaign against corruption in the country. Observers note that Turki likely realised that if he was going to make a move against MBS, he had to do it fast. However, in an apparent attempt to disguise his involvement, the Tuwaiq Oasis project was managed through multiple buffer companies and individuals to distance Turki from the billionaires recruitment event, which complicated construction. The contractors faced multiple obstacles and delays, and were frequently forced to pay suppliers and workers from their own funds; never to be reimbursed. Ultimately, the Rare 10 meeting was held on schedule, with the who’s who of America’s super-rich in attendance. But following the event, the contractors, still awaiting payment, were ostracised by Turki and his intermediaries. Within months, Prince Turki was one of 11 Saudi royals detained under house arrest in the Riyadh Ritz Carlton, and charged with corruption. When it appeared that the Tuwaiq Oasis contractors might be summoned to testify about the shadowy gathering of billionaires he had hosted, Turki had the UAE fabricate a case against the SDW Events LLC and got them listed on Interpol; thereby both preventing them from entering Saudi Arabia as witnesses, and ensuring that he would never have to pay them the millions he owed. Now an explosive lawsuit has been filed on their behalf which will bring to light the full extent of Prince Turki’s conspiratorial machinations. The attendees of the Rare 10 event might have believed they were establishing a profitable partnership with a potential rising star of Saudi Arabia, “But we are going to ensure they’re aware that the Tuwaiq event has left a string of foreigners at risk of imprisonment and extradition for no other reasons than that the Saudis didn’t ‘feel like’ paying, and because Prince Turki doesn’t want them to be heard”, says US attorney Dr Jonathan Levy who is representing SDW Events LLC. “Our client undertook a massive project with unrealistic timelines on the contracted agreement they would be paid and would therefore be able to pay their own suppliers and contractors. Instead, his trust was abused and quite unbelievably, he was wrongfully listed on the Interpol Red Notice database so the Saudis could deprive them of the 20+ million owed; and so that Prince Turki could prevent his testimony in court. If this is the way business in Saudi is going to be played, investors need to be cautioned that their reputations and livelihoods are on the line. American businessmen need to know that their support of Saudi Arabia will inevitably lead to human rights violations against their fellow countrymen. KSA has intimated that they intend to clamp down on corruption and the Tuwaiq Oasis scandal is where they should start”. Levy is set to raise the scandal with KSA representatives in Washington, DC. “Dealing with high-ranking members of elite or royal families in the Gulf can be extremely treacherous,” says Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, “Foreigners are often unfamiliar with the internal politics and rivalries at play when they enter into contracts with big local players in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Qatar. They believe such agreements are inherently beneficial because they connect them to the most powerful people in the region; but they do not consider that this power often allows these players to operate above the law, and they are able to breach contracts, expropriate money, refuse payment, seize ownership of companies and projects, and persecute foreigners with impunity. “This is particularly risky when you add the fraught dynamics of factional politics into the mix. We have seen vicious campaigns around contests for the throne in emirates like Ras Al Khaimah, for example, the aftermath of which resulted in a ruthless purge of high-profile business leaders, executives and investors; asset seizures, false imprisonments, Interpol abuse, and even severe human rights violations including torture.” Stirling, who also heads IPEX, an organisation dedicated to Interpol reform, explains that Gulf countries habitually use Red Notices as weapons against political critics and the financial victims of unscrupulous local partners, “It is unsurprising that Prince Turki and his cohorts would instigate an Interpol listing against the Tuwaiq contractors; this is the modus operandi of Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and the governments and powerful families in the region. Any investor or professional who has been wronged by a local sponsor or business partner can expect to have a false case registered against them and Red Notice issued, whether it be to extort money from them, shift blame, intimidate, or otherwise neutralise any attempt they might make to pursue justice. “In this case, Prince Turki clearly wanted to cut all ties with the Tuwaiq Oasis project and could not be seen financing such an elaborate event that looked very much like a strategic move against MBS; particularly when he was already suspected of corruption. By having the head of SDW Events listed on Interpol, he believed he could not only guarantee that he would never have to pay for the project, but also that no one from SDW could testify about the Rare 10 meeting itself, which could dramatically increase the severity of the charges against him.” Disgraced Saudi Prince Convened Meeting of Billionaires Prior to His Arrest DUE PROCESS INTERNATIONAL Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

The US has issued an Interpol Red Notice against Chris Emms for allegedly violating US sanctions against North Korea (DPRK). Emms is currently held in Saudi Arabia as he fights against the US extradition request. The US has cast a wide net over blockchain professionals in an attempt to make an example of them but in doing so, has displayed what can only be described as “State Harassment”. 30 year old Crypto expert Chris Emms, from Reigate, Surrey, has found himself stuck in Saudi Arabia, fighting extradition to the United States who have accused him of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) despite not being a “US person” and thus not subject to the legislation. After the Julian Assange case, the US has been emboldened to further push for the extraterritorial application of US laws to foreign nationals even where legislation specifically only applies to Americans. Once a keen theatre director, Emms was drawn to technology early on and began his career heading up sales for the first ever crypto debit card issuer. Emms then built TokenKey, an innovative company offering off the shelf Initial Coin Offering (ICO) solutions, and became a highly sought after expert, advisor and consultant to governments, including Her Majesty’s. Emms' notoriety landed him a leading position as head of partnerships and business development with Bitcoin.com, working directly for owner Roger Ver. The blockchain expert has been a prominent speaker on regulatory issues and a broker and consultant for companies with blockchain and web3. The highly motivated entrepreneur went on to open the first ever Kosher food distribution company in the Gulf, significantly investing into the region and giving him the opportunity to play a crucial role in the Abraham Accords, working and educating businesses in the GCC on Jewish customs and relations alongside the UAE Israel Business Council. “In 2018, I was travelling frequently and presenting all over the world almost every other week”, explains Chris. “When Spanish national Alejandro Cao de Benos asked me to go to North Korea for another conference, I checked the FCDO travel advice for North Korea which indicated no issues and so I agreed to attend. With Trump’s meetings, it also appeared the relationship between the countries was improving. It was an uneventful few days with like minded people, just like any other.” Virgil Griffith was supposed to be the only speaker but they ran out of content to cover the two days and began asking other attendees to fill in the gaps. “I was asked to speak briefly about topics I have spoken about publicly before, the content was nothing new or secret and I had absolutely no idea that I could ever be accused of any wrongdoing”. Mr Cao De Benos asked Emms to enquire if other industry peers would be interested in attending and listed Emms’ name on the conference website as a speaker. Emms commented “I did not see any issue with this. “I had checked whether there were any restrictions on me as a British citizen and there were none”. Emms attended the event and was asked to speak on the spot, along with US citizen Virgil Griffith and others whom he had not met until the first day of the conference. On the day of arrival though, all attendees had their belongings rigorously searched and Argentinian POAP founder, Patricio Worthalter, was accused of possessing a pornographic video on his laptop. This put the whole group on edge whose passports were confiscated as a result. They feared a small step out of line could lead to their detention. From that moment on, attendees were very aware of their language and conduct during the trip, ensuring not to inadvertently offend the hosts. Emms described the visit as a sort of “tourist propaganda event” where attendees were escorted to schools and museums with local guides. They weren’t allowed to interact with North Koreans and other than the guided tours, they were not even allowed to leave the confines of their hotel. In preparation, Mr Cao de Benos provided them with a number of documents and asked the speakers to incorporate the content that was obtained from publicly available google searches. Mr Cao de Benos had mistakenly listed Emms as an organiser of the event but Emms had no role as an organiser at all and he was not consulted or asked to be included on the website.. Emms confirmed, “I did not perform any organisation of the event, I did not have authority to do so and was careful not to do so”. Emms spoke at the conference, covering information that can be found freely on the internet to which North Koreans have access to. “We were even shown libraries where this information could be accessed”, recalls Emms. Emms provided no information that could have helped the government evade US sanctions against them and no information that was secret nor unavailable on Google. Emms was relieved when the conference he branded “uneventful and boring” was over. He returned to the UK later that month but was “shocked” to be taken aside on arrival and questioned in relation to the conference. He dutifully cooperated but it bothered him. Wanting to ensure there would be no further issues, he telephoned the British Intelligence Services hotline to clarify anything that was of interest to them, but they were not interested in pursuing the matter. Emms put the matter to rest and continued with his business and travels until he was made aware that another speaker in November 2019, Ethereum founder Mr Virgil Griffith, had been arrested. Griffith was accused of violating the IEEPA by providing information to North Korea. Griffith professed his innocence, but was under enormous pressure to agree to a plea bargain in return for a reduced sentence. Given his previous interactions with British authorities, Emms thought it prudent to engage a US representative to contact authorities on his behalf to see whether they had flagged any issues. They had no interest in liaising until 2021 when it became clear they were building a case against him. Emms was aghast. It seemed impossible. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Why would he be prosecuted by the US when he had not violated any British or international laws? He wasn’t a US citizen or US person. How could this be? Emms was not going to surrender to the US under these circumstances but informed the British authorities that he would happily cooperate with them or surrender himself in the event that they felt he had committed a crime. “You couldn’t ask for a more reasonable and cooperative subject”, said Radha Stirling, who is representing Mr Emms. “I could never advise anyone to surrender to a foreign jurisdiction that has no legal authority to prosecute them. This would be endorsing an overreach of powers and the extraterritorial application of laws to foreign nationals who are not subject to them. If another country like China or Russia attempted to do this to a British citizen, we would be outraged. We can not accept double standards simply because it’s America, for that would set a dangerous precedent”. Comforted that the UK was satisfied Emms had not violated any laws, he continued life as normal, but he didn’t know the US often goes to extreme measures to pursue targets. He expected they would consider him of trivial interest. Emms did not count on Interpol being used as a mechanism to secure him abroad, so when he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the LEAP tech conference, he had expected to be in and out in a matter of days but then his nightmare began. When Emms checked in for his return flight on the 4th of February 2022, his passport raised an alert and he was taken to the airport detention facility. He was held in a cell with around fifty other people before being cuffed and shackled and taken to an interrogation centre where he was put in front of two prosecutors. Emms was told the US had requested his extradition and asked whether he would agree to surrender or not. Terrified by the news and not knowing what would happen next, Emms promptly declined the offer and was given bail. His family and friends expected the worst, telling Stirling “It’s unimaginable that anyone could treat Chris like a criminal when all he’s done is attend a seminar. Chris is the gentlest and most loving person anyone could hope for in their lives. He has always been studious and ethical. Even the British government respects and seeks his expertise and he’s never violated any law, ever. What he and we are going through is the worst stress of our lives. It would be a crime against humanity for America to be able to just take our loved ones and plonk them in jails notorious for human rights violations when the laws don’t even apply in the UK! I can’t believe it and I pray for the US to drop any case against Chris. Don’t put him through this. The British government needs to stand up for its people. We are not American, we are British and if we have committed no crime in Britain or under international law, how can the UK allow the US to do this?” Emms and his supporters intends to lobby the government to help prevent the extraterritorial enforcement of US law against British citizens. Mr Emms has now been held in Saudi for nearly three months at significant expense and under extremely stressful conditions. Since hiring US lawyers, Emms has spent his life savings on lawyers with bills amounting to hundreds of thousands. Criminal investigations and extradition proceedings are not cheap. IPEX Reform founder, Radha Stirling says “sometimes governments issue Interpol warrants purely to harass, punish, extort or pressure victims. This kind of ‘Interpol Abuse’ is outrageous. The FBI is fully aware that the IEEPA does not apply to non-US persons, but has reported him to Interpol with the flimsiest of evidence I’ve ever seen. If they are aware the Act does not apply to him, why have they reported him to Interpol? It can only be described as State harassment. They ‘persuaded’ a reluctant Virgil Griffith to enter a guilty plea and they want another body in the grave. This is America’s opportunity to send a message to crypto professionals that “we can get you anywhere”. It’s highly suspicious that the Interpol Red Notice only came to light while Chris was in Saudi Arabia. We have to consider that they may have gone jurisdiction shopping and wanted him held in Saudi rather than the UK as this would put Chris at a disadvantage.” Foreign nationals have been charged under the IEEPA but they have been detained in the US and ended up pleading guilty to ensure they didn’t risk a life sentence. No foreign national has been successfully prosecuted under this Act. American ‘justice’ relies largely on intimidation. US authorities finally sent a communication to Saudi Arabia outlining the allegations against Emms. The US accused him of violating the IEEPA by: Accusation 1: Supplying visa advice to Virgil Griffith; Emms did not give visa advice to Virgil Griffith. Emms met Griffith at the event and was in no way involved with encouraging him to attend the event or organising his attendance. Accusation 2: Organising the Pyongyang event; Emms did not organise the event and nor did he have any authority to do so. Emms did not act in any way that could be construed as organising the event. The event was organised by DPRK and their Spanish representative. Accusation 3: Providing information to DPRK that would assist in circumventing sanctions, specifically showing a whiteboard drawing that displayed a smiley face with “no sanctions” written there. Emms provided only information already available in the public domain and that he had previously given at other conferences. There was nothing new or illicit about his content and he was not responsible for the whiteboard drawing that the US has included as their “evidence”. It is not even his writing but that of Griffith’s which they have already presented as evidence against him. The charges are essentially bogus and a far reach for the FBI. “If only the FBI went to such extents when US yacht Nostromo was attacked and US citizens kidnapped”, commented Stirling who has been surprised at the FBI’s tenacity in persecuting crypto professionals. Emms has taken the time in Saudi to go over the Pyongyang conference again and again. “We were not treated as friends of North Korea. Our passports were confiscated and before leaving, I underwent an interrogation and had a full room search. It wasn’t pleasant. If I have violated the laws of the United Kingdom, I am more than willing to admit guilt and face the consequences of my actions. However, after having in-depth conversations with officials and legal counsel in the US, Saudi and the UK, I am confident I’m not guilty of any crime of which the US has accused me and I will be fighting for justice. Emms has made it abundantly clear that he was not associated with Griffith, was not an organiser, “co-conspirator” or advisor. Emms was not aware of Griffith’s conduct prior to the conference nor about any of his apparent attempts to engage in business with North Korea. “This is not a matter that I in any way condone should he not have permission from the relevant authorities”. Family and friends of Chris told Stirling “Chris has used his knowledge to help the church increase transparency, harnessing the power of blockchain to empower the poor in developing worlds. He’s always been actively involved in the community and encouraged respect and diversity. That’s why he did so well with the Abraham Accords too. He won’t plead guilty to supporting the Korean regime. As tempting as it is when you are afraid, it’s never the right thing to do. He believes in fairness and transparency and that doesn’t include allowing yourself to be bullied, even if it is by the United States of America”. Stirling intends to fight the charges all the way, “Authorities threaten and intimidate victims into guilty pleas and promise lighter sentences and better prison conditions. These are not the indicators of a fair judiciary, these are issues that we criticise regularly in countries like the UAE, China and Russia. It is disappointing to see these authoritarian patterns in Western nations and right there in New York. “We will rigorously fight against extradition.” Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com IPEX: Interpol & Extradition Reform: https://www.ipexreform.com/ Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Due Process International vows to end the ruthless persecution of crypto professionals who are forced to enter guilty pleas after unconscionable harassment. The United States government continues to target individuals involved in the cryptocurrency development, business and education sectors, casting a wide net over industry professionals and using harassment and intimidation to cause victims to plead guilty and provide witness statements against other industry professionals. With the threat of hefty sentences, prosecutors hope their targets will plead guilty to crimes they haven’t even committed in return for lesser sentences. Due Process International is representing one such client who is not even subject to US law, is not a US person or citizen and did not violate any law in their own country. Yet, the US has misused Interpol’s database to issue a Red Notice against him, hoping that he will be intimidated enough to provide testimony against an alleged co-conspirator that he incidentally met only once at a crypto conference, along with dozens of others. “Abusing Interpol’s membership is not uncommon”, says Interpol & Extradition Expert Radha Stirling, “but when we speak of Interpol Abuse, we are usually condemning countries like the UAE, Saudi, Qatar, China, Russia, Korea and Venezuela. There is an initiative in DC to hold Interpol legally accountable for allowing the continued wrongful reporting of individuals, given the human rights violations that victims are subjected to such as wrongful imprisonment abroad. If the US is actively misusing the database themselves to harass and extort victims, we are going to see opposition to any accountability movements in the States”. The sentencing discrepancies for crypto related prosecutions have been outrageous as we clearly see in the case of then 26 year old tech entrepreneur, Ross Ulbricht. Ulbricht created an exchange platform called ‘Silk Road’ and was sentenced to two life sentences without parole because some customers used the tool to pay for illegal goods. Ulbricht finally spoke out about his incredible case: Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith entered a guilty plea in New York for violating sanctions after attending a conference in North Korea. Griffith had maintained his innocence up until September last year when he chose to plead guilty after undoubtedly succumbing to pressure from lawyers and prosecutors. Griffith is hoping for a reduced sentence, but there is significant industry concern that he was subjected to undue influence. His sentencing will be announced soon. Why Did Virgil Griffith Plead Guilty? Stirling continued, “What has been clear in many cases is that the US system will unscrupulously charge and threaten to prosecute industry professionals with the flimsiest of evidence insufficient for a conviction but when faced with life imprisonment in abysmal conditions while being offered a plea bargain, most lawyers will recommend their innocent client take the deal. Prosecutors are relying on this, charging victims with very serious and inappropriate crimes, hoping they will plead guilty so the prosecutor gets an easy win and a nice promotion. This kind of harassment has seen victims essentially confess to crimes they haven’t committed which in turn encourages the practice to continue. We’ve all seen A Few Good Men and while Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee starts out looking for easy plea deals, he eventually sees that justice should not be seeking to ‘close cases’ but should be seeking the truth. “It is clear that industry professionals are being maliciously targeted by the US and other governments and that there is very little support. Their reputations have been slandered, their assets looted and they've been harassed using the corrupt Interpol organisation. Interpol is now under the direction of the United Arab Emirates General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi who has been accused of human rights abuses and torture, further diminishing the organisation’s credibility. “The United States seeks to intimidate small fish into providing testimony, even if false, against big fish.” Due Process International (DPI) is collating evidence to assist victims facing unfair trials, wrongful prosecution and imprisonment, and to end this unconscionable state ordained conduct. “The State relies upon individuals feeling they’re on their own, separated from any alliance so they can go in for the kill. That’s going to end”, said Due Process International CEO, Radha Stirling. Justice Department Installs New FBI Crypto Crime Unit - WSJ Buterin Asks Court for Leniency in Upcoming Sentencing of Virgil Griffith About Radha Stirling Radha Stirling founded Detained in Dubai and Due Process International in 2008 and has since helped and advised in more than 17,000 cases of injustice. Expert Witness Stirling is the founder of IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) Reform, a civil and criminal justice specialist, legislative, investment risk, business and policy advisor to the public and private sectors, speaker and host of the Gulf in Justice Podcast, covering regional issues in depth. Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Denmark has signed an extradition treaty with the UAE, primarily to seek hedge fund trader Sanjay Shah, who has been sheltering in Dubai. But the treaty “comes at a price”, says extradition defence and Interpol expert, Radha Stirling. “When a country sees a target they want to extradite, they can be all too keen to sign on the dotted line without any consideration of what this may mean for their own citizens”, explains Stirling, who founded the organisation IPEX Reform to fight Interpol abuse. “Australia went through the same process a decade ago but we managed to lobby Parliament to ensure human rights provisions were inserted into the treaty. Danish courts will now need to ensure they offer the equivalent protection to those the UAE may seek to extradite”. Home | IPEX Reform Interpol & Extradition Reform, Expert Witness, Interpol Removal, Crisis Management, Legislative & Government Advisory Denmark has hunted down and arrested a number of Danish and European citizens at the request of the UAE via Interpol’s system, even before the treaty. “When someone is listed on Interpol, it’s ‘arrest first and ask questions later’ and the UAE has been able to ride off the credibility of its Interpol membership. In other words, Denmark would not have arrested those individuals had they been asked directly by the UAE but because the request had come via Interpol, they took it seriously”, added Stirling. Denmark agrees extradition treaty with UAE, eyes British tax fraud suspect | Reuters The UAE has an astonishing history of Interpol Abuse, a term used to describe the inappropriate and abusive reporting of individuals to Interpol’s databases. “The UAE abuses their membership by reporting individuals to the database for the purpose of harassment, intimidation, vengeance or extortion. Local charges and convictions in absentia are manufactured against individuals before being listed with Interpol. One classic manoeuvre is to list someone with a small credit card debt under the category of fraud. Investors and entrepreneurs are regularly listed for fraud, embezzlement or bounced cheques to create a situation where they are unable to defend themselves in court and the Emirati complainant can simply steal their assets. Journalists, activists and political ‘opponents’ are commonly reported to the agency. This kind of abuse has been particularly prevalent from countries like the UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Bahrain, Russia, China and Egypt and there are no signs of change. Radha Stirling on the Pressing Case for Interpol Reform “Interpol does not investigate a request from a member state before publishing. It relies on the country to voluntarily comply with the rules and now we have the UAE running the presidency of the organisation so we expect to see an increase in abusive notices. The King of Interpol Abuse “The misuse of Interpol has caused thousands of wrongful arrests across the globe with many of the victims being detained for months or years before their ultimate exoneration. In the event of a successful extradition request from the UAE, an individual is likely to face unfair trials, forced confessions, human rights violations and even torture. It is for this reason the British courts have denied extraditions to the country, even with the presence of a mutual treaty. Like the UK, Danish courts must consider the likelihood of citizens facing violations in the event of their extradition. Legal professionals call for UK-UAE extradition treaty to be suspended “We have a client in Denmark who has been the victim of this very harassment and is waiting to be removed from Interpol’s database. With the new treaty, he is concerned that the UAE may immediately request his extradition meaning he would face lengthy and expensive legal proceedings and potentially grave human rights violations in the event he were sent to Dubai. He should not be seen as ‘collateral damage’ in the pursuit of Sanjay Shah and Denmark must protect its citizens.” Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org

Contractors stiffed by Saudi Prince for construction of venue for secret billionaires' meeting reveal potential plot to challenge MBS A new legal case by a group of contractors provides new potential insights into the events surrounding the detention of at least one of the 11 Saudi princes arrested shortly after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed power. In November 2017, several Saudi elites were corralled in the Riyadh Ritz Carlton hotel and placed under house arrest, including 11 members of the royal family. Among them was Prince Turki bin Abdullah, who was charged with corruption stemming from his management of the Riyadh Metro project he initiated, but Saudi insiders suspect that his arrest may have had an even more sinister story behind it. A year after the Ritz-Carlton roundup, Saudi elites remain jailed by the crown prince - Washington Post “All of those detained were seen as potential rivals to Mohammed bin Salman,” explains Radha Stirling, founder and CEO of Due Process International and Interpol reform organisation IPEX, “It is well-known that divisions and enmity exist within different branches of the Saudi royal family, and MBS wanted to pre-empt any potential challenges to his authority. The arrests amounted to a purge in the eyes of most observers, but until this case, there was only conjecture about the extent of Prince Turki’s ambitions. Most people thought the purge was a symbolic show of force, not a response to a genuine challenge to Mohammed bin Salman’s power. However, the facts around the current case indicate that Turki may well have been making a play for greater influence.” The Dubai-based contractors, headed by a Jordanian national, were hired in 2016 to work on a secret project in the desert, the Tuwaiq Oasis. The project was the construction of a remotely-located luxury venue two hours outside Riyadh that would be used only once for an exclusive meeting between Prince Turki and an elite collection of international billionaires, known as “the Rare 10”. Turki set up a number of buffers between himself and the project right from the beginning, delegating supervision and budget allocation to intermediaries. The money for the project was to be first channeled through Major General Ali Al-Qahtani, the prince’s right-hand man, and then through a front company called Althat Arabia, under the direction of Mohammed Mansour, who would be in charge of overseeing the project. This convoluted management structure caused the project to encounter endless problems, with payments being regularly delayed to the contractors, and basic logistics issues being neglected by Turki’s designated supervisors. The prince’s apparent desire to maintain his distance from the Tuwaiq Oasis project very nearly resulted in it failing to meet completion on time, had the contractors not worked relentlessly to meet the deadline, despite enormous complications. In the end, Tuwaiq was built, and the secretive billionaire’s conference was held. Secured by Matt Wolman, attendees included some of the most influential, and in hindsight, perhaps most strategic figures in the worlds of venture capital, industry, law, and security: Kimbal Musk from Tesla, Scot Jarvis of Kratos Defense, John Cushman III of Cushman and Wakefield, Tracy Krohn of W&T Offshore, Richard Ziman of Rexford Industrial Realty, Michael Riady of Lippo Group, Lim Chee Wah from the Genting Group – who, along with Prince Turki himself, is linked to the 1MDB financial scandal involving Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund and disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Also in attendance were: Sky Dayton of Joby Aviation, Shervin Pishevar from Virgin Hyperloop One and Sherpa Capital, David Nazarian of Nîmes Capital, Phillip Nazarian of Nimes Real Estate, Henry St. George from the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Jahm Najafi of Najafi Companies, George Matelich of Kelso Private Equity, Joe Lonsdale from 8 VC, Michael Tang from National Material LP, Thomas Girardi of Girardi & Keese, and Gary Winnick of Winnick & Co. Given this guest list, it is self-evident why Prince Turki wanted to keep the “Rare 10” meeting a secret. Deals made with this assortment of power players would unquestionably be viewed by Mohammed bin Salman as an existential threat to his authority. After Tuwaiq’s completion, and after the “Rare 10” event was held, Turki wanted to completely separate himself from the project; the contractors were aggressively refused payment for their work and even threatened with legal cases and being listed on Interpol, in an apparent attempt to silence them and erase any possible trace of Turki’s secret meeting. “It has become almost common practice in the Gulf for local owners and investors to breach contractual obligations with foreign business people, refuse payment, expropriate funds, illegally cash security cheques, and to then pre-emptively register criminal complaints against their victims to cover up their own actions,” Stirling explains, “This is frequently the case when locals happen to be people in high positions; members of the royal family, government officials, or members of a particularly large and influential tribe. The court systems in the Gulf are not independent, and there is tremendous judicial bias in favour of powerful locals against foreign nationals, so conviction is guaranteed. It is also understood that members of a ruling family can act with impunity in most cases, especially against foreigners. Another prevalent tactic is to either threaten to list a foreign national on Interpol, or to actually have them subjected to a Red Notice on the basis of fabricated charges. These Notices can be used both for extortionary purposes or simply to neutralize any effort that person might make to secure justice. The Gulf States are notorious for their habitual abuse of the Interpol system.” According to the contractors’ lawyer, Dr. Jonathan Levy, Turki’s family is still very powerful in Saudi Arabia despite the fact Turki is seen as enemy number one of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: “We don’t know exactly what sort of arrangement Turki made with the billionaires, but after the meeting took place, Turki reneged on his contract. My clients are now coming forward in the hope the Saudi government will step in.” Dr Levy went on to say: “If deals were made at Tuwaiq Oasis by the now disgraced prince, that too will be revealed. My clients will not keep silent about this especially after the prince’s family involved Interpol in an attempt to keep everyone quiet.” “The combined guest list of Prince Turki’s event at Tuwaiq Oasis represented a powerful nexus of financial, security, and technological global elites,” Stirling notes, “If the purpose of this meeting was not related to the prince’s personal ambitions, but to the development and interests of the Kingdom, it would have likely taken place at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh; not at a secretly constructed venue in the middle of the desert, which was subsequently abandoned; with the contractors who built it denied their payment, intimidated, and placed on Interpol like fugitives, in an attempt to completely rub the event out of history. It is a fair guess that, if Saudi authorities investigate the claims of the contractors in this case, they will discover that Prince Turki was involved in something much more serious than corrupt kickbacks from an infrastructure project, and that his plans recruited some of the most influential players in the international private sector, many of whom continue to operate and invest inside Saudi Arabia.” Detained in Dubai: http://www.detainedindubai.org Detained in Doha: https://www.detainedindoha.org Radha Stirling: http:///www.radhastirling.com Due Process International: http://www.dueprocess.international Podcast: http://www.gulfinjustice.news Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KH20nw... Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/detainedindubai Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/detainedindu... YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/detainedindubai Email: info@detainedindubai.org