The British teen sentenced to a year's jail for having consensual sex with a girl of 17 is set to lodge a pardon request, with support from foreign secretary David Lammy. Marcus Fakana's plea to the ruler of Dubai has been prepared by the teenager, who is being helped by officials from the British Embassy, and is set to be accompanied by a "support letter" from Mr Lammy, who has received criticism from supporters who have accused him of not doing enough to help.
Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling, who is helping Marcus, said: "The British Embassy has been in touch with Marcus while in prison on a regular basis and a pardon application has been prepared. Marcus is praying that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, will pardon him.
"David Lammy has promised a support letter to accompany the pardon request, but he could certainly do more." Radha added: "Frankly it was a dereliction of duty to remove himself as the foreign secretary only for Marcus' case, citing a conflict of interest since he couldn't act as both MP and foreign secretary. "Marcus' family asked that he act as foreign secretary since obviously that carries more weight and has more power and authority as an MP, whose job it would be to pressure the foreign secretary. David Lammy shouldn't just be providing a letter of support and wiping his hands of the situation, which is what many have done in the past.".
Radha revealed Mr Lammy's fellow Labour MP Bell Ribiero-Addy has also now written a letter calling for Marcus to be released and for Mr Lammy, who is Marcus' MP, to show stronger signs of support.Radha added: "He should be meeting with the ministry of interior, with the government of Dubai, with the UAE's ambassador to the UK. He should be setting up those meetings and making things happen.
