The family of a Fife dad say getting him home from a prison in Iraq would be “better than winning the lottery” after he moved a step closer to release.
Brian Glendinning, 43, from Kincardine, was arrested by Iraqi authorities while entering the country.
He was told an Interpol Red Notice for his arrested had been issued by Qatar due to unpaid debts on a loan he took out while working in Doha in 2016.
Brian has already had his case put through the Qatari courts, and could face two years in prison if extradited to the country.
However, after more than two months of sharing a rat-infested Baghdad prison cell with murderers, it now looks like Brian may soon be able to return home.
According to his family, an anonymous third party has come forward to settle his debts – and the Qatar National Bank QNB has reportedly now withdrawn its case against him.
Brian’s brother John told The Courier: “We were told by the bank that the process to bring Brian home had started on Sunday.
“They didn’t say how long the process would last, so this is definitely the most frustrating bit now.
“The thought of my brother coming home is something I dream about every night.
“Now I’m starting to have more and more vivid dreams.
“I think of his wife and his kids, our mum and dad, how everyone’s going to feel getting him back.
“It’s going to feel like winning the lottery – better than winning the lottery actually, like winning the Euromillions.”
MP delivered letter to Qatari ambassador
Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, has also visited the Qatar embassy to deliver a hand-written letter to ambassador Yousef Ali Al-Khater.
The letter explains how Brian’s issue with the bank has now been resolved, and requests that Qatar send a diplomatic note to Iraq to release him without further complication.
Radha Stirling, a human rights advocate working with Brian’s family, said: “Brian’s brother, John, and wife, Kimberly, were so thankful that Mr Chapman met the ambassador in person.
“We are truly grateful for the efforts Mr Chapman has made. This is exactly what is required in this kind of situation and is what the [UK Government’s] Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and James Cleverly should also be doing.
“We are hopeful his excellency will be able to promptly execute the necessary communication to Iraq so that Brian can finally come home and recover from his terrible ordeal.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ““We are providing support to a British man who has been arrested in Iraq and are in touch with the local authorities.”
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