Published: Fri, 21 November 2025
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Seán Kelly MEP has today announced that he has formally presented the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Belgium with a letter signed by 45 Members of the European Parliament appealing for clemency for Ryan Cornelius, the British businessman married to Irish woman Heather Cornelius, who has been imprisoned in Dubai since 2008.
The letter, addressed to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, respectfully requests that Mr Cornelius, now 71, in fragile health, and bankrupt-be granted release as part of the traditional clemency measures issued to prisoners each year around the UAE’s National Day on 2 December. The appeal coincides with a similar cross-party letter issued this week by members of the UK Parliament.
Kelly said the cross-party support from MEPs reflected growing concern in Europe about the case:
“This is a deeply human plea. Ryan Cornelius has spent seventeen years in detention under circumstances that the European Parliament has already deemed unjust and in violation of international legal standards. His continued imprisonment serves no purpose. Today’s letter is a respectful request to the Ruler of Dubai to show compassion.”
Today’s initiative is the latest step in Kelly’s sustained efforts in the European Parliament to secure justice for Mr Cornelius. In July, he successfully led an urgency resolution in Strasbourg which received overwhelming support from MEPs, with 511 votes in favour, condemning the “gross miscarriage of justice” in the case and calling for Cornelius’s immediate and unconditional release.
At the time, Kelly highlighted both the human and legal dimensions of the situation:
“As an Irish MEP, I am especially conscious of the pain this has caused Ryan’s wife, an Irish citizen, and their family. The Parliament spoke clearly in July: his rights have been trampled, and it is time for decisive international action.”
The resolution detailed how Mr Cornelius was originally sentenced to ten years following an unfair trial, only for his sentence to be extended by a further twenty years in 2018 through the retroactive application of a law- a move the Parliament condemned as a breach of international legal standards. MEPs also expressed alarm at his deteriorating health, referencing untreated tuberculosis, cardiovascular disease, and inhumane conditions amounting to torture under international law.
Kelly said that today’s letter builds directly on that strong mandate:
“The European Parliament has already made its position unmistakably clear. Today, 45 MEPs from across the political spectrum have united once again to appeal to the UAE leadership in a spirit of partnership and respect. We hope that clemency can now be granted ahead of National Day.”
The letter presented to the UAE Ambassador emphasises that the value of Cornelius’s seized assets far exceeded the original debt, that he no longer poses any risk, and that the compassion of the UAE leadership- particularly during National Day- could bring closure to a long-suffering family.
Kelly concluded:
“This is a humanitarian request. After seventeen years, we believe mercy is not only justified but urgently needed.”
