Air Force Vet and brother sentenced to Dubai jail after claiming they were ‘drugged’ at party
Topics: Alcohol, Crime, Social Media, US News, World News
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@joseph_lopez_28
Topics: Alcohol, Crime, Social Media, US News, World News
A US Air Force veteran-turned-influencer and his brother have been jailed in Dubai after alleging they'd been 'drugged'.
Joseph and Joshua Lopez first appealed for the country's help last month, after a night out in Dubai ended with them waking up in a police car.
The pair had originally flown to the United Arab Emirates on May 25 to record content for their social media pages, and on June 2 they were leaving a nightclub when they allegedly encountered an Uber driver who offered to take them to an afterparty at a hotel.
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Speaking to Fox and Friends First, veteran Joseph claimed the brothers were given 'platters of food, hookahs, a bottle', so he just decided to 'go with it'.
After the party at the hotel came to an end, Joseph and Joshua were invited to a yacht party were they were allegedly handed a huge bill, which Joseph believed as a 'misunderstanding'.
After seemingly clearing up the issue, he was allegedly given a drink by an unidentified woman.
"I literally don't remember anything for the rest of the night except for a few seconds here and there," he said.
When he came around, Joshua and Joseph were in the back of a police car, facing charges of assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle and alcohol consumption.
In the UAE, alcohol consumption is only permitted in licensed establishments such as bars, restaurants and hotels. It is illegal to be drunk in public or to walk outdoors with a drink in your hand, with such crimes punishable with a fine of around $1,360, or up to six months in jail.
Joshua and Joseph were initially released on bail, but were banned from leaving the country as they awaited their court appearances.
Last week, Joshua and Joseph appeared in court to face the charge of alcohol consumption and were each sentenced to one month in prison.
Their sentences may be extended if they are convicted of the remaining charges, which they are expected to face tomorrow (August 20).
In their interview with Fox, the brothers said the State Department were 'aware of the situation'.
However, they urged authorities to do more, saying: "Our lives are at stake here. Like the amount of years in prison that these charges can give us… It could be this could ruin our lives."
The organization Detained in Dubai, which sheds light on people facing legal issues in the UAE, called for US diplomatic intervention in a post about the brothers' situation.
“Without diplomatic intervention, these boys face potentially years in jails notorious for human rights abuse and torture”, CEO Radha Stirling said.
“Joseph Lopez is an air force veteran who helps people in difficult situations through his mental health advocacy. He and his brother deserve every effort from the US government to bring him home," she said.