Naim Abbas, a 65-year-old Australian citizen living in Dubai, has been held in the United Arab Emirates on espionage charges since October 2017, relating to allegations he conveyed information to Qatar about road projects.
The state prosecutor in the UAE alleges that he conveyed confidential information about Roads and Transport Authority Dubai to a Qatari officer without his manager’s consent, but Mr Abbas insisted that he met with the Qatari officer inside the Emirati manager’s office under supervision.
In a voice message obtained by SBS Arabic24, Mr Abbas rejected the charges and said he was blindfolded following his arrest, and didn't get to read his own statement before signing.
He's called on the Australian government to intervene before his sentencing on December 21.
"All I want is your support, minister for foreign affairs, the prime minister," he said. "Just like any other citizen needs your help."
"Please help me and save me from the situation I am in."
The voice message came following an October court appearance where two of Mr Abbas' defence witnesses turned against him.
In September a lawyer representing Mr Abbas demanded the charges be dropped, claiming that his client conveyed the information with the knowledge of his managers and with good intention during a time of political calm between the UAE and Qatar.
In October, Mr Abbas' Sydney-based brother Adil said the family was “very pessimistic about the possible court ruling” following the witness testimony, which was “not in favour of Naim”.
Adil Abbas added that his brother wished for the government to apply a similar push that led to the release of Australian filmmaker James Ricketson who was sentenced to six years' jail by a Cambodian court for espionage but released after a special pardon.
In a statement from October 26, The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it would provide assistance to Mr Abbas.
“DFAT consular officials are providing consular assistance to an Australian man facing charges in the UAE, including liaising with his family in Australia,” DFAT said in a statement but declined to comment further, citing “privacy considerations”.
