A 21-year-old college student who was reportedly detained in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since July 14 after she was searched while going through security at the Dubai International Airport has been released.
Advocacy group Detained in Dubai reports the saga began for Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos when she was returning to New York from a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, with a friend. De Los Santos was detained following a painful search at the Dubai airport as she began what was supposed to be a 10-hour layover.
De Los Santos had been recovering from surgery and wore a medical waist trainer compressor around her waist, stomach and upper chest. After being taken to a separate area by female staff dressed in local attire, she was forced to remove the medical compressor.
Trending Today:
After the search was completed, De Los Santos said she needed help putting the medical compressor back on, but the women laughed at her as she struggled.
“I was feeling uncomfortable and afraid,” said De Los Santos to the group. “I felt really violated.”
As the half-naked college student struggled to put the compressor back on while begging for help, she says the women refused to assist her. She says she peeked out from behind the curtain to have her friend help and, while doing so, lightly touched one of the women’s arms who was blocking the view.
“I gently touched her arm to guide her out of the way, then desperately started crying to my friend for help,” recalled De Los Santos.
A male officer allowed the friend behind the curtain to help her, but De Los Santos was detained for “touching the female customs officer” and accused of “assaulting and insulting” the female airport staffers.
Radha Stirling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, an organization that helps people detained in the Middle East, said De Los Santos’ physical and mental health have been impacted by the incident and subsequent detainment….
Read the full article here