NBC: Boys forced to be camel jockeys in UAE
Thousands abducted from South Asia, Africa, U.S. lawsuit alleges
The defendants are Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the emir (ruler) of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is Mohammed’s brother. Previously, a spokesman for the UAE Embassy told NBC News that the UAE’s leaders have done nothing wrong, and follow the law in conducting or sponsoring camel races in the Emirates
The suit was filed in the U.S. under the Alien Tort Statute, and specifically in Florida because the Maktoums operate businesses “with billions of dollars of U.S. assets and millions of dollars in Florida assets,” the suit adds.
Just yesterday, the American law firm served legal papers to Sheikh Mohammed at one of the biggest horse sale events in the U.S. The event was the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Lexington, Ky. Sheikh Mohammed is one of the world’s wealthiest horse owners, and a major player in Kentucky. At the sale, he bid $8.2-million for Awesome Humor, a son of Storm Cat. The bid was the second highest in the history of the sale.
The suit was filed by Ron Motley, the plaintiffs’ lawyer from Mount Pleasant, S.C. His firm is MotleyRice LLC