Adam Castillo, a security consultant and former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained upon returning to the country on Thursday, the police source said.

He is being held in connection with a lawsuit filed by the current director of a business organization he previously headed, the source said, adding that he faces allegations of breach of trust related to property matters, which carry a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years under Myanmar law.

A court on Friday ordered Castillo remanded in custody for two weeks while investigations continue, the source said.

A second source confirmed the detention but provided no additional details.

The US State Department said it was aware of reports regarding the detention of a US citizen in Myanmar but declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations.

Castillo recently published a memoir documenting his experience working in Myanmar during and after the 2021 military coup, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered widespread unrest and civil conflict.

Myanmar has remained under military-dominated rule since the coup, despite a political transition process that international observers have described as tightly controlled and largely excluding opposition groups.

The case comes amid ongoing tensions between Myanmar’s military authorities and parts of the international business and diplomatic community that scaled back operations following the coup.

Abu Safiya, 53, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appeared before the court through a video connection as judges considered whether to extend his detention. No ruling had been issued by Thursday afternoon, according to Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI).

The pediatrician became widely known during the war in Gaza for documenting conditions inside Kamal Adwan Hospital during an 85-day Israeli military siege. Through videos released during the conflict, he appealed for international assistance as medical staff struggled to treat patients amid severe shortages and ongoing hostilities.

Images from Wednesday’s hearing showed Abu Safiya wearing white prison clothing and handcuffs. Observers said he appeared visibly thinner and pale, with marks visible on his arms.

PHRI said Abu Safiya was recently transferred to solitary confinement. His son, Elias Abu Safiya, said the move occurred shortly after the doctor challenged his detention through legal channels.

Israeli authorities have not formally charged Abu Safiya with a crime. The Israeli military has said he is being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza. Medical colleagues and international aid organizations that worked with him have rejected those allegations.

Following the hearing, defense lawyer Nasser Odeh conveyed a statement he said came from Abu Safiya, in which the doctor maintained that his work had been solely humanitarian and medical in nature.

Israel’s Justice Ministry did not immediately comment on the case. The Israeli Prison Service rejected allegations of mistreatment, stating that all detainees receive professional medical care and that complaints submitted through official channels are examined.

According to PHRI, 14 physicians from Gaza remain in Israeli detention. Rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about the detention of medical personnel during the conflict and have called for greater transparency regarding their legal status and conditions of confinement.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures are widely cited by international organizations though they do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Abu Safiya’s detention remains pending.

The report found that some parents covered by a 2023 court settlement were detained or deported during the administration’s expanded immigration enforcement campaign, resulting in renewed family separations. Attorneys representing affected families said several deportations occurred despite legal safeguards intended to prevent such actions.

One case involved 11-year-old Ederson Galicia Alva, who was separated from his mother at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 and later reunited. In 2025, his mother was detained and deported to Guatemala, forcing the family to leave the United States before a federal judge ordered their return last month.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which led the lawsuit that ended the original family separation policy, said the renewed separations have caused further trauma to children and families already affected by earlier government actions.

The Department of Homeland Security said it complies with court orders and defended its immigration enforcement efforts, arguing that deportations and detentions are carried out under existing law.

The findings highlight renewed legal and political scrutiny of the administration’s immigration policies as federal authorities pursue large-scale deportation operations across the country.

The judgment, issued on Wednesday, removes a policy that had barred ICRC access to Palestinian detainees for more than two years. The restriction was introduced after Israel accused the humanitarian organization of failing to secure access to hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups following the attack.

The court found that the government had not adequately justified maintaining a blanket prohibition on prison visits, opening the way for the potential resumption of ICRC monitoring activities inside Israeli detention facilities.

The ICRC welcomed the ruling and said it was prepared to restart visits immediately. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the organization said it was continuing discussions with Israeli authorities to resume detention-related operations as soon as possible.

The agency reiterated that access to detainees, including the ability to conduct private interviews, is an obligation under international humanitarian law.
Israel suspended ICRC visits to security-related prisoners shortly after the October 2023 attack, arguing that the organization had been unable to gain access to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The restrictions remained in force even after the return of the last hostages in October 2025.
The ruling comes amid sustained scrutiny of detention conditions in Israeli prisons. Human rights organizations, including several Israeli groups, have reported worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees, citing allegations of mistreatment, inadequate medical care and violence inside detention facilities.

The Prisoners Club, a leading Palestinian prisoners’ rights organization, said the court’s decision would have limited practical impact unless visits resume promptly. The group’s head, Abdullah Al-Zaghari, argued that the judgment should not obscure broader concerns regarding the role of Israeli judicial institutions in policies affecting Palestinian detainees.

The decision marks a significant legal setback for the government’s detention policy and could increase pressure on authorities to restore independent humanitarian monitoring of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody.

Indonesian journalist Rahendro Herubowo said activists were beaten, shocked with tasers and held in overcrowded detention containers after Israeli forces seized the flotilla near Cyprus on May 18-19. He alleged detainees were denied adequate water and medical assistance during their confinement.

Sri Lankan activist and medic Sameera Mahboobdeen said dozens of activists suffered injuries, including suspected fractures and head wounds, while requests for medical treatment were ignored. She also alleged that several women reported sexual assault during detention.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 50 boats and 400 activists, was attempting to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza by challenging Israel’s maritime blockade.

Malaysia-based group Sumud Nusantara said it has documented allegations of excessive force, sleep deprivation, restricted access to food and water, and prolonged interrogations. The group is coordinating with Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry to pursue legal action and seek an investigation through the International Criminal Court.

Israeli authorities had not publicly responded to the specific allegations contained in the activists’ accounts.

The commission said its findings followed multiple verification and analysis procedures conducted in coordination with Syrian authorities, marking a significant development in one of the country’s most prominent unresolved disappearance cases.

Al-Abbasi, her husband Abdul Rahman Yasin, and their six children, who were between three and 15 years old at the time, vanished in March 2013 after security forces raided their home in Damascus, according to rights organizations.

Their disappearance became a symbol of the broader issue of missing detainees and forcibly disappeared civilians during Assad’s rule.”We have reached reliable and corroborating results that allow us to conclude with a high degree of professional certainty that Dr. Rania Al-Abbasi’s children are deceased,” the commission said in a statement.

It added that efforts to locate the children’s remains were continuing.The commission was established by Syria’s new authorities in May 2025 to investigate cases involving missing and forcibly disappeared persons following Assad’s ouster in 2024.Hassan Al-Abbasi, Rania’s brother, confirmed the children’s deaths in a video posted on Facebook.

He said family members had viewed video recordings linked to a suspect accused of involvement in a 2013 massacre in a Damascus district.According to Hassan Al-Abbasi, one recording showed children being accused of financing terrorism.

He said the children in the footage were identified as members of the Al-Abbasi family.The fate of Rania Al-Abbasi and her husband remains officially unresolved. Contact with both was lost after their arrest, and while rights groups and media reports have suggested they may have died, no official confirmation or recovery of their remains has been reported.

The case underscores the scale of Syria’s missing persons crisis, which includes detainees who disappeared in government prisons, civilians who went missing during years of conflict, and individuals who vanished at checkpoints or while fleeing violence.The Syrian conflict began in 2011 after a government crackdown on anti-government protests and evolved into a prolonged civil war.

Tens of thousands of people were detained or disappeared during the conflict.The commission said last year that the number of people who went missing over decades of Assad family rule could exceed 300,000.

The Bamy Hotel on Bioko Island, owned by the family of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has housed at least 32 deportees since late 2025, many of whom had previously received protection orders from U.S. immigration judges, the report said. Most have since been deported to African countries they fled, despite fears of persecution.

Migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Angola and Mauritania described psychological pressure, restricted movement and uncertainty over their fate while being held inside the largely empty hotel. Several detainees told AP they feared imprisonment or death if returned home.

The Trump administration has expanded third-country deportation agreements with developing nations as part of its immigration crackdown. Rights advocates argue the policy circumvents asylum protections by transferring migrants to countries with poor human rights records.

Washington declined to comment on details of the arrangement with Equatorial Guinea, while the State Department said it remained committed to ending “illegal and mass immigration.” Equatorial Guinea’s government did not respond to requests for comment

.
The oil-rich Central African nation, ruled by Obiang for more than four decades, has long faced criticism from rights groups and U.S. officials over allegations of corruption, repression and abuses against dissidents.

The accusations emerged after hundreds of participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived in Türkiye and other European countries following their deportation from Israel. The flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters roughly 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Israel’s coast while attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

According to accounts provided by activists and journalists, detainees were transferred from their vessels to military boats and then taken to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where they were allegedly held in shipping containers and subjected to physical abuse.

Several detainees told media outlets they were punched, kicked, dragged, restrained for extended periods and denied access to lawyers or consular representatives. Some also alleged that tasers and attack dogs were used during the detention process.

Among those making allegations was Turkish activist Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, who said detainees were forced to keep their heads lowered while handcuffed and were subjected to rough treatment after refusing to sign documents presented by authorities.

American activist Christopher Boren said he suffered facial injuries after being struck shortly after arriving at Ashdod port, while Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani described being blindfolded, restrained and physically handled during transfers between vessels and detention facilities.

Greek activist Yiannis Atmatzidis also alleged he was beaten and subjected to a taser discharge during processing procedures.

The claims have drawn international attention, particularly after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared in a widely circulated video involving detained flotilla participants.

The footage prompted criticism from several foreign governments, some of which reportedly summoned Israeli diplomats to discuss concerns over the treatment of detainees.

Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations. Israeli Prison Service spokesperson Zivan Freidin described the accusations as “false and entirely without factual basis.”

The flotilla’s organizers said the mission was intended to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and challenge restrictions imposed under Israel’s blockade. Israeli authorities maintain that maritime restrictions are part of security measures aimed at preventing weapons and military supplies from reaching militant groups operating in the territory.

The competing accounts are likely to intensify international scrutiny of Israel’s handling of foreign activists and humanitarian missions linked to Gaza, while adding to broader diplomatic tensions surrounding the conflict.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian national Thiago Avila appeared before a court in Ashkelon for a second hearing, after being brought to Israel last week following the interception of their vessel by Israeli forces off the coast of Greece.“The court approved their detention until Sunday morning,” said Miriam Azem of Adalah, which is providing legal representation.

An AFP journalist witnessed the activists being escorted into the courtroom with their legs shackled.The two were among dozens of individuals aboard a flotilla that had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the stated aim of delivering humanitarian supplies to Gaza and challenging Israel’s long-standing blockade.

Adalah said the activists have been on a hunger strike for six days and alleged that both were subjected to physical and psychological abuse in detention. The group said they were being held in isolation under constant high-intensity lighting, with Avila allegedly exposed to extremely cold temperatures.“They are kept blindfolded at all times whenever they are moved outside their cells, including during medical examinations,” the group said.

Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations.During an earlier hearing, prosecutors presented a list of charges including assisting the enemy during wartime and membership in, and providing services to, a terrorist organization, according to Adalah.

Defense lawyers challenged Israel’s jurisdiction, arguing the activists had been unlawfully detained in international waters.Israel’s foreign ministry said both individuals were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which it alleged has links to Hamas. It described Abu Keshek as a leading member and said Avila was also suspected of involvement in illegal activity.

The flotilla was part of the Global Sumud initiative, whose previous attempt last year was similarly intercepted. Israeli forces stopped the latest convoy early on Thursday off Greece’s coast.Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007 and controls access points into the territory.

Aid flows have been severely disrupted during the ongoing war that began in October 2023, contributing to shortages of essential supplies.

In London, Wolfgang began searching for his father with growing urgency after losing contact with him in the United Arab Emirates. Unable to reach Albert directly, he contacted associates in the country and began tracing possible leads.

Initial concerns centred on reports of violence along border regions, where Wolfgang believed smugglers might have been involved. He organised searches along known transit routes and contacted hospitals and police authorities, but no information emerged during the first week.

Roughly ten days later, Wolfgang received a call from an unfamiliar UAE number. Albert, speaking amid audible background noise, confirmed he was alive but in distress. By that point, he had already spent days in solitary confinement, according to his account.The episode unfolded against a backdrop of heightened regional instability that has begun to affect perceptions of the UAE as a secure destination for foreign residents.

In recent weeks, missile strikes linked to the conflict involving Iran have disrupted daily life in parts of the country, prompting some expatriates and visitors to leave. The developments have challenged the long-standing narrative of the UAE as a stable regional hub.Authorities have also tightened information controls during the crisis.

Influencers, who have required government licensing since 2025, along with members of the public, have been warned against sharing unverified footage of attacks. Violations carry the risk of fines or imprisonment. Reports indicate that more than 20 individuals, including a British tourist, have faced charges related to the dissemination of such material.

Before the escalation in regional tensions, the UAE hosted an estimated 250,000 British expatriates, many concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The country has attracted foreign professionals and entrepreneurs with low taxation, modern infrastructure and business opportunities.

At the same time, its legal and political framework differs significantly from Western systems, with restrictions on political activity, strict social regulations and extensive surveillance infrastructure.Wolfgang and Albert were among earlier waves of expatriates who built businesses during periods of rapid development. Wolfgang described a social environment in which expatriates were integrated into high-profile networks, often participating in events that showcased Dubai’s global image.

He said expatriates like himself were used to project success, describing the experience as “the proof in the pudding” of opportunity in the city.Albert, however, characterised his time in the UAE differently, focusing primarily on work and family life. He said he avoided risky or informal business practices, believing that legal processes in the country operated fairly.

That assumption changed after his detention.According to Albert, his legal situation deteriorated rapidly. He described escalating legal costs, asset seizures and pressure from creditors as his case moved through the courts. Legal advice he received suggested that his chances of success were limited.

He said he had not previously encountered the concept of financial entrapment, but claimed that many inmates he later met had faced similar circumstances.As legal avenues narrowed, Wolfgang explored options to extract his father from the country.

He said he arranged contact with a people-smuggling network in London and agreed to pay £20,000 for an operation that would move Albert across borders through a multi-stage route involving land and sea transit. The plan involved crossing into Iran and eventually reaching Pakistan before returning to the United Kingdom using emergency documentation.

Albert’s detention continued during this period. He was eventually transferred in June 2021 to Al Awir prison in Dubai, a large facility on the outskirts of the city. There, he shared a cell with multiple inmates, including individuals from various national backgrounds. He described conditions as overcrowded, with up to 15 prisoners sharing limited sleeping arrangements and basic amenities.

Foreign nationals make up a significant proportion of the UAE’s prison population, reflecting the country’s broader demographic composition. Many detainees come from South Asia, often linked to labour migration under the kafala system, which ties workers’ legal status to their employers.

Albert said that living conditions depended in part on access to financial support from outside the prison. He reported paying for basic items, including a chair to accommodate a pre-existing back condition. Access to facilities such as gyms and libraries was limited, with long waiting periods.

Daily life inside the prison was marked by inactivity and restricted communication. Albert said visits from family and legal representatives were blocked, and he developed coping mechanisms to manage extended periods of confinement. He described irregular sleep patterns and persistent noise within the facility.He also said he was pressured to sign legal documents written in Arabic, a language he did not understand.

He maintained that his case involved coercion and lacked transparency, though no official response to these claims was provided in the material.The experience has highlighted broader tensions within the UAE’s model of economic openness combined with strict legal enforcement.

While the country continues to attract foreign investment and talent, cases involving expatriates have drawn attention to the risks associated with its legal system, particularly for individuals unfamiliar with local regulations.

Wolfgang’s account underscores the challenges faced by families attempting to navigate cross-border legal disputes in jurisdictions with differing legal frameworks.

His efforts to locate and assist his father unfolded alongside a shifting geopolitical environment that has begun to affect both the perception and lived reality of expatriate life in the Gulf.