Bert Tatham

Bert Tatham is a Canadian former anti-drugs official for the United Nations who was sentenced to four years in prison in Dubai for drug possession in June 2007.

Work in Afghanistan

Tatham worked as an consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and was stationed in Kandahar in Afghanistan for thirteen months as an advisor to the Afghan government on its poppy elimination program, which aimed to encourage farmers from growing opium used for the production of heroin.Babbage, Maria: [http://www.thestar.com/News/article/227025 Canadian UN official jailed 4 years in Dubai] , "Toronto Star", June 19, 2007.]

Arrest in Dubai

Upon the completion of his service in Afghanistan, Tatham began his journey back to Canada, which included a layover in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. On April 23, 2007, Tatham was stopped at Dubai International Airport by customs officials who found two poppy seeds in his bags, triggering a full search which found minuscule traces of hashish in his pocket. A drug test also found trace amounts of hashish in his urine. Tatham was placed under arrest for drug possession.Edwards, Steven: [http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=180336 Own 'negligence' landed Tatham in Dubai jail] , "National Post", December 19, 2008.]

In a letter written from jail to the "Ottawa Citizen" newspaper, Tatham expressed concern that his statement to police regarding the narcotics allegedly found in his possession was poorly translated, thus changing the context of his explanations:

"For example, my telling them about being exposed to drugs in my work ... became, 'I used drugs in Afghanistan'. My lack of any knowledge of having hashish ... became, 'I forgot I put it in my pocket,'" [ [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/06/20/2003366076 Faulty translation may lead to Dubai prison term] , "Taipei Times", June 20, 2007.]

During his trial, Tatham's lawyers argued that his work in Afghanistan made exposure to narcotics an "occupational hazard". Tatham was taking the poppy seeds, which had been used in an education demonstration, to Canada, having cleared their import with Canadian authorities. His lawyer also claimed that the traces of hashish in his pocket and urine were from "second-hand smoke" and occasional contact through the nature of Tatham's work in Afghanistan.Hewitt, Patricia: [http://www.thestar.com/News/article/286980 Canadian jailed in Dubai comes home] , "Toronto Star", December 18, 2007.]

Pardon and release

On December 17, Tatham received an official pardon from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was one of three Canadians, and 377 other inmates who were cleared of their charges and freed as part of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha. He was immediately released and returned to his family and fiancé in Canada the next day on December 18.

References

External links

* [http://www.freebert.ca Free Bert] , an advocacy campaign calling for Tatham's release