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News


NEW YORK STUDENT DETAINED IN DUBAI FOR MONTHS FACES 'SCARRING' TREATMENT

By Natalie Venegas On 9/17/23 at 1:44 PM EDT


00:56
New York Student Detained In Dubai For Months Faces 'Scarring' Treatment
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News Dubai United Arab Emirates UAE New York


A New York student has been held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since
mid-July and could face jail after being accused of "assaulting and insulting"
Dubai airport staff following "humiliating" treatment.

Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos, a New Yorker studying business arts at Lehman
College while working as an operations manager in retail, said she faced a
painful and degrading search when she went through security at the Dubai airport
while traveling with a friend.

The 21-year-old student was instructed to take off a medically needed compressor
after undergoing surgery, according to Detained in Dubai, an organization aimed
at helping victims of injustice in the Middle Eastern emirate.



"She is under the most incredible stress which is impacting her physical and
mental health, disrupting her entire life and scarring her long term. This is
simply no way to treat visitors," Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, told
Newsweek. "It's outrageous."

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In an effort to comply with airport security, Polanco De Los Santos agreed to
take off her compressor, which goes around her waist, stomach and upper chest.

"I was feeling uncomfortable and afraid. I felt really violated," Polanco De Los
Santos told Detained in Dubai.



The Dubai skyline on June 20, 2022, and, inset, New Yorker Elizabeth Polanco De
Los Santos. The student has been detained in Dubai since mid-July, where she is
allegedly facing "outrageous" treatment and "hefty" fines. KARIM SAHIB/AFP via
Getty Images

Following the uncomfortable search, which was clear, Polanco De Los Santos
needed help getting her compressor back on, which is when she gently touched one
of the security women in an effort to guide her out of the way in order to reach
her friend, Detained in Dubai reported.

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Officers then said Polanco De Los Santos could not leave and was being detained
for "touching the female customs officer" during the search. She was kept in the
room for several more hours while the woman filed a complaint against her.

Polanco De Los Santos has been in Dubai since July 14, unable to leave the
country, as she was placed on a travel ban. Detained in Dubai has also reported
that judges ordered her on August 24 to pay a AED 10,000 fine (a little more
than $2,700). While the New Yorker could have paid that fine, customs officials
appealed her sentence.

"They have affirmed they want Elizabeth in jail and were dissatisfied with the
court issued fine which would have seen Elizabeth leave the UAE. Unfortunately,
the complainants are expecting an offer of financial payment to close the case
and the fact that criminal cases can be resolved with payment only serves to
encourage frivolous complaints and the abuse of visitors," Stirling wrote in an
email on Sunday.

This comes after Tierra Allen, a driver who runs the popular Sassy Trucker
account on TikTok, and many others have continued to face the same fate with
months in Dubai awaiting a difficult legal process that can leave victims broke,
traumatized or jailed. Palanco De Los Santos's mother is pleading with customs
officials and Dubai authorities in hopes that they allow her daughter to leave
the country.

"As a family, we are really struggling and my daughter needs to be home to
continue seeing her doctor. I've been in tears, I don't understand why she could
be held in the country this long. She really regrets going to Dubai and is
desperate to come home. We are calling on the US Embassy and our local
representatives in New York to help us," Polanco's mother told Detained in
Dubai.



Detained in Dubai has also confirmed they are supporting Polanco De Los Santos'
case in an effort to bring her back to the states.

"We are reaching out to Elizabeth's representatives, Congressman Ritchie Torres
and Senators Charles Schumar and Kirsten Gillibrand for assistance.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Senator Ted Cruz recently became very
proactive in their support for Tierra Allen when she was held in Dubai.
Elizabeth hopes her members will show the same support," Stirling said.

In response, the U.S Department of State has made a statement to Newsweek in
regards to Polanco De Los Santos' case.

"The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no
greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We are
aware of the detention of a U.S. citizen in Dubai. When a U.S. citizen is
detained overseas, the Department works to provide all appropriate assistance.
Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," U.S Department of
State told Newsweek in an email on Sunday.



In addition, Jacob Long, communications director for Representative Ritchie
Torres, a Democrat who represents the South Bronx, told Newsweek in an email on
Sunday that he was "checking with" district staff regarding the case.

However, Detained in Dubai maintains that without diplomatic intervention,
Palanco could continue to face several more months waiting for an outcome of her
trial. She could potentially face hefty fines and years of imprisonment.

Newsweek reached out to the UAE embassy, Dubai Customs and the press
representatives for Schumer and Gillibrand for comment via email.

Read more
 * 'Sassy Trucker' Tierra Allen traumatised after Dubai arrest for shouting
 * Russell Brand rape allegations: Everything we know
 * Seattle police union admits Dan Auderer audio "horrifying" as outrage boils
 * Fox News host confronts top House Republican on GOP's "paralyzed chaos"


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