Haigh International Justice

Advisory firm of lawyers, crisis managers & media specialists — Dubai, the UAE & Middle East. Fearless advocacy · Crisis management. Founded by @haighdavid

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

BREAKING NEWS / MEDIA RE ZEYNAB JAVADLI
There has been a very concerning and distressing development regarding Zeynab Javadli and her three young daughters.
Zeynab is the ex-wife of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum — nephew of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
More updates soon.
Below is the BBC story from November 2025: “Ex-wife of Dubai royal says she fears arrest as custody battle escalates”
https://t.co/JDq0PEgomG
via @bbcnews @bbcworld
#ZeynabJavadli @ZeynabJavadli @UNHumanRights @volker_turk @HHShkMohd @DXBMediaOffice @HHmansour @MohamedBinZayed @MaktoumMohammed @MMbinRashid

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

BREAKING NEWS / MEDIA RE ZEYNAB JAVADLI
There has been a very concerning & distressing development regarding Zeynab Javadli and her three young children. Zeynab is the ex-wife of the nephew of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. More soon. Below is the via @DailyMail story from November 2025.
Dubai royal's ex-wife begs Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed for aid as husband wins child custody https://t.co/oIjfkF9SGW
#ZeynabJavadli @ZeynabJavadli @UNHumanRights @volker_turk @HHShkMohd @DXBMediaOffice @HHmansour @MohamedBinZayed @MaktoumMohammed @MMbinRashid

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

Just saw this heartwarming @gofundme for the victims and their families of the Southport attack on @MartinDaubney @GBNEWS. Please support by donating or sharing – every bit of help makes a difference. https://t.co/BGDHa4Vt3D

[GB News @GBNEWS]

'I'm on the floor of a police station with men with guns shouting at me in Arabic to get me to sign a false confession'

Human Rights lawyer David Haigh recalls a 22 month ordeal where he was wrongfully held in a Dubai 'hellhole' prison.

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

Thank you @GBNEWS & the fantastic @CarverEmily @tomhfh for such a poignant interview on the horrors I & countless others have experienced in Dubai, from British tourists, expats & even Dubai’s Princess Latifa. Hopefully, by highlighting the risks in living or holidaying in Dubai & the wider Middle East we can help protect many others.

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

10 years on from the most horrific experience of my life in Dubai I spoke to the ⁦@TheSun⁩ about it & those I have helped get justice since, including Princess Latifa. Electrocutions, rape & 'demonic' punishments inside Dubai's hellhole prisons https://t.co/CYyUkZSPdH

[Daily Mail @DailyMail]

I was raped in Dubai prison cell and saw a man tortured to death by having his throat stamped on: Brit who spent 22 months locked up in 'desert hellhole' warns people to NEVER go there and describes terrifying ordeal https://t.co/w2BfLvjXcT

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

10 years on from the most horrific experience of my life in Dubai I spoke to the @MailOnline on the dangers of Dubai. The Daily Mail helped me get freedom back then, as they have many others since that are suffering injustice & human rights abuses - from Princess Latifa to countless others.

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

UPDATE Thank you @NewYorker @HeidilBlake for such important, historic investigative journalism. The most accurate, painstakingly researched, perfectly written analysis of our worldwide #FreeLatifa campaign - Princess Latifa https://t.co/HVn9xFSUlW
@TiinaJauhiainen @DetainedIntl

[Kenneth Roth @KenRoth]

Women in the Dubai royal family who speak out about abuse they suffered have vanished. In 2019 and 2021 Randa Al Banna. first wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed, spoke out to help Princess Latifa. She hasn’t been heard from since. https://t.co/BKfp3tyh69 https://t.co/OkCb9u4IB9

[Wajeeh Lion وجيه الأسد @WajeehLionn]

Dear President Biden,

I am reaching out to you on behalf of the LGBTQ community from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. As the first openly gay man from Saudi Arabia, I was under direct threat of being kidnapped by the Saudi government; I had to run for my life. With the help of my alma mater, Kansas State University and my lawyers, I was able to barely escape with my life. I had to get rid of all my social media devices and enter a safe house with the Kansas City anti-violence project so I couldn't be found. 

Sadly nowadays my story is not unique. The US State Department confirmed to Vice that it has seen the reports about the death of Saudi trans woman Eden Knight after she was lured and kidnapped by her family with help from the Saudi government – but it may be some time before justice can be done: in addition, her parents hired American “fixers” and a Saudi lawyer to take her back to Saudi Arabia, where trans people face immense discrimination. 

Just recently another friend of mine who is a Yemeni American, a happily married gay man, came out to his  family. They appeared to be supportive and invited him to a wedding in Dubai where he was kidnapped. With a miracle and the hard work of his husband we luckily have them back here safely, and he now lives in the DC area. 

I share this with you as I hope you would give me the pleasure and the honor of working with you to save the lives of dissident members of the LGBT community; I have spoken with the FBI twice before, but sadly with no actions, that's why I think with your leadership and directions, I'd love to meet up with the state department, and the FBI in order to find better represent my community and to find more ways to protecting them, it's also very important to pass legislation criminalizing the act of luring and kidnappings to ok outside of the United States or aiding them, as we do play a vital role in the United States and we do serve the US government. 

@WhiteHouse @POTUS @VP

[Detained International #HumanRights @DetainedIntl]

URGENT. Please share and support Zack Shahin.

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

THANK YOU: Truly honoured & humbled to have been nominated for the 3rd time for a prestigious @ITVNews #NationalDiversityAward @nd@ndawards - Positive Role Model: #LGBT Means so much to me & @DetainedIntl to be amongst so many inspirational nominees.

#HumanRights #Dubai #UAE #Justice #Equality #LGBTQ #DavidHaigh #DetainedInternational #BoycottCop28UAE

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

Looking forward to discussing the double standards of the West towards human rights abuse in Saudi Arabia. Effectively the human rights hypocrisy with @SANAD_en @Sueconlan @Fh_Ghuwaydi #HumanRights #Saudi #DetainedInternational #DetainedTV #DavidHaigh #StopSportswashing #NUFC

[Haigh International Justice @HaighJustice]

ANNOUNCEMENT. Important announcement this week from #FreeLatifa campaign #InternationalWomansDay2023 #WomenEmpowerment #WomensRights #HumanRights @TeamFreeLatifa @DetainedIntl

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

Parliament square protesting the hosting of #COP28 by #ClimateCriminals #WarCriminals #HumanRights abusers #Dubai #UAE @cop28_uae with brave @TiinaJauhiainen on 5th anniversary of her kidnap by Dubai ruler #SheikhMohammed
#COP28 #ExposeCOP28UAE
#BoycottCOP28UAE @DetainedIntl

[sebastian usher @sebusher]

#SaudiArabia : Police in #Mecca say that a girl from Burmese Muslim community in KSA who went missing has been found & a Pakistani resident has been charged over the incident - any more details on story? #مكة_المكرمة #البرماويه

[Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei @SAlwadaei]

#Breaking: families of death row inmates and political prisoners are staging a protest outside a school in #Bahrain where Pope Francis is about to arrive.

The police threatened to arrest them if they do not leave.

#BahrainDialogueForum
https://t.co/xl7j0d1vx7

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

I gave evidence this week at the coroner’s inquest into the death in Dubai police custody of British tourist Lee Bradley Brown. #LeeBradleyBrown at Bur Dubai police station @DetainedIntl

https://t.co/Lf6i14JuJK

[David Haigh @haighdavid]

The jury found that Lee Bradley Brown died from neglect. The jury heard evidence that Lee was viciously beaten and tortured & beaten by the heinous Dubai police, deprived of food, water and medical care. #LeeBradleyBrown @DetainedIntl