They stripped him naked and searched him at the airport, then detained him for two months.
While Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, 21, was flying from Istanbul to New York with her friend, she had to transfer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on July 14.
Whatever happened to Elizabeth, who was still a student, happened during this transfer. She wore a medical corset around her waist while she recovered from recent abdominal surgery in the United States. However, during her check-in at the airport, she was asked to have her corset removed.
When Isabel stated that it was impossible to remove the garment and put it back on herself, the two assistants began to roughly remove the corset. When they completed their search for her, they did not help Elizabeth put her corset back on.
The 21-year-old student describes those moments like this: “I felt uncomfortable and afraid. “I really felt violated.”
Additionally, Elizabeth stated that she could not understand why she was not allowed into the scanning device and was asked to remove her clothing and medical corset.
While dressing after the search, he tried to reach for the curtain to ask his friend for help, but one of the customs agents was in front of him. “I gently touched his arm to get him out of the way,” Elizabeth explained.
HE WAS DETAINED FOR TWO MONTHS
After what happened, Elizabeth was arrested for attacking and insulting the agents. The 21-year-old student was detained for two months.
The human rights group that supports Isabel, detained in Dubai, described what happened: “She was half naked, humiliated, in a state of panic and misery. The officer responded by allowing her friend to help behind the scenes. Officers said Elizabeth was detained for touching the customs officer. Elizabeth remained in the room for several more hours while the women complained about her. “Elizabeth apologized for touching the woman lightly.”
In addition to the two months she spent in Dubai, Elizabeth now faces months of waiting through a grueling legal process in Dubai. The court fined him approximately £2,000. But even after making the payment, Dubai officials appealed the court’s decision, causing her to stay in the country even longer.
Human rights activist Radha Stirling said this was a tactic used by Dubai government officials to exploit tourists: “They want to jail you or pressure you into paying them compensation. “Tourists have long been exploited by locals who seek to punish and blackmail them.”
Elizabeth’s mother wrote a heartfelt letter to customs and immigration officials so she could continue to receive necessary medical care.
Without diplomatic intervention, Isabel faces months of waiting for the final outcome of her trial, heavy fines and years in prison.