Brian Glendinning: Children of Fife man held in Iraq call on David Beckham to help free dad

Construction engineer Brian Glendinning, 43, took out a £20,000 loan from the bank in 2016, and was making monthly repayments but lost his job after he became sick and struggled to keep them up.

But he was arrested and detained on an Interpol Red Notice from Qatar over a debt owed to Qatar National Bank (QNB) when he arrived at Basra airport in Iraq on September 12 to start a job at a BP oil refinery.

Dad-of-three Brian, from Kincardine, Fife, is now facing extradition to Qatar as his desperate family scramble to raise £40,000 to bring him home.

So far nearly £16,000 has been raised.Now his children have called upon David Beckham to support his release ahead of the World Cup at Qatar.

In a statement, they said: “We are asking everyone and anyone with influence and connections with Qatar to please help save our Dad.

"David Beckham is the international face of football, he agreed to a £10 million deal with Qatar to act as an ambassador for the country, and since Doha is hosting the World Cup this year, we just hope he may be able to use his position to convince Qatar to let our father come home.”

Interpol expert Radha Stirling, founder of IPEX, said with the World Cup coming up, Qatar 'should be mindful' of rights attacks towards foreigners.

Interpol expert and founder of Detained in Doha, Radha Stirling, who has taken up Glendinning’s case, explains, “QNB registered a case against Brian without his knowledge, even while he was regularly communicating with them about the loan payments.

"This, outrageously, is their standard protocol. If anyone falls behind on their installments, QNB files a criminal complaint against them, and they will be convicted in absentia if they are out of the country.

"The bank immediately has them listed on Interpol as a fugitive, and demands payment for the full amount of the loan – regardless of how many payments have already been made.

"QNB, the government of Qatar, and Interpol have all put Brian in tremendous danger; he is being held in an Iraqi jail alongside radically anti-Western militants and terrorists; all because he lost his job and fell behind on a bank loan.”

Radha says extradition from Iraq is almost certain given Qatar’s strong relations with the country, and QNB’s presence in Iraq.

“Brian needs public support; he needs the support of influencers and people who can have a real impact on Qatar’s authorities, particularly in the context of the World Cup. Unfortunately, the UK government has compromised their own ability to influence Doha, with tens of billions of pounds flowing into the British economy from Qatar, the FCDO has little leverage.

"But Qatari officials are cognizant of their country’s image, and want the World Cup to proceed without a glitch. If someone like David Beckham uses his celebrity and influence to advocate for Brian, it could make a huge difference.”

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-brian-from-qatar-jail