ABU DHABI // The French pensioner jailed for making what he claims was a joke about a bomb on an aircraft is in the middle of cancer treatment, and friends and family are concerned about his health. Jean-Louis Lioret, 66, was arrested on January 12 while boarding an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok, en route from Paris, for making "comments threatening the security of the aircraft". He has spent almost two weeks in detention.
Carole Loisel, the consul at the French embassy in Abu Dhabi, confirmed that Mr Loiret is being held in Al Wathba prison's infirmary because he is under treatment for cancer. She said he has been allowed to take medication he had with him when he was arrested. Lyndall Porter Baudinet, who said her husband has been friends with Mr Lioret since childhood, said she had been informed the Frenchman is not in good health.
"His state of health, both physical and mental, is not as good as it might be," said Mrs Porter Baudinet, who has been in touch with the embassy's staff. Mr Loiret, a retired engineer, had delayed a trip to visit friends in Thailand for two years because of his illness, according to his brother Michel. Ms Loisel, who has visited Mr Lioret twice, said he "seemed to be in good enough health" but "nobody could be completely fine mentally" in his situation.
Stress is known to weaken the immune system. Dr Waleed Hassen, a urologic oncologist at Abu Dhabi's Tawam Hospital, said research in the US has shown being in prison can make the disease worse. There are conflicting reports of the incident that led to Mr Lioret's arrest. His brother claims the Frenchman had been asked by a fellow passenger to keep a package on a seat next to him because the seat was empty, to which Mr Lioret joked: "I hope it's not a bomb."
However, airport officials claim Mr Loiret clearly stated he had a bomb in his possession. "As Jean-Louis doesn't speak either Arabic or English, I don't see how that could be anything other than a misunderstanding," Mrs Porter Baudinet said. It is unclear whether Mr Loiret has been charged with a crime. Abu Dhabi police did not respond to requests for clarification yesterday. lmorris@thenational.ae
