Brian Glendinning, 43, who had been hired to work at a BP oil refinery in Iraq, was arrested on an Interpol red alert at Baghdad airport on September 12. Glendinning, from Kincardine, Fife, was told upon arrest that an Interpol notice had been issued by Qatar regarding an alleged debt owed to Qatar National Bank. Radha Stirling, founder of the Interpol and Extradition Reform (Ipex) initiative, said Glendinning’s family were currently arranging flights and hoped he could return home as soon as Monday night. “Mr Glendinning’s lawyer Tahseen Alchaabawi gave us the good news this morning. It was an emotional time for his family and I couldn’t be happier for Glendinnings,” she said. However, Stirling said Qatar had not confirmed whether the Interpol red alert had been lifted, so there could still be a risk the 43-year-old could be arrested on his way back to Scotland. Sterling previously said Qatar had a history of abusing the Interpol system and the use of a red alert in Glendinning’s case should be taken as a warning to football fans traveling to the country for the World Cup this month. Glendinning’s brother John said he had lived in “deplorable” conditions in an Iraqi prison and his beard had grown as “there was only a shared razor in the prison and he wasn’t going to use it”. He added: “He’s at the hotel. I’ve seen a picture of him with a beer and I’m so glad he’s single. “It was really emotional for the family. Even our father shed tears and never cries. Kimberly (Brian Glendinning’s partner), the kids, can breathe again. Now it’s a few hours until they are together.” A class action will now be brought against Interpol for what Ipex says is a “consistent and repeated” abuse of power, Stirling said. He added: “Iraq received evidence from Qatar National Bank last week to prove that the extradition was for bank debt. “The consumer debt does not meet the criteria for extradition, but it was quite possible that Iraq would have bowed to Qatari pressure and handed him over anyway. “Brian is free due to a combination of lobbying and media efforts, negotiations and debt settlement with QNB and strong diplomatic representations.” A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed it was providing consular support to Glendinning.
