Whistleblower handcuffed and held in hospital amid concerns over health in nine-month extradition ordeal

TELEMMGLPICT000236417949.jpeg
TELEMMGLPICT000236417949.jpeg

A British whistleblower trapped for nearly nine months in Croatia in an extradition battle was detained by armed police and held against his will overnight in a psychiatric hospital after the UK embassy raised concerns about his mental health.

Jonathan Taylor has been unable to leave Croatia since July last year while fighting what his lawyers claim is a “politically motivated” extradition request by Monaco after he lifted the lid on an alleged multi million pound bribery scam by oil executives based in the principality.

In advance of a Supreme court extradition hearing due yesterday (Tues), Mr Taylor had alerted the British Embassy and the Sofia-based regional consul last Friday about his deteriorating mental health.

He was asked to set out his thoughts and told them he was “suffering depression with possible suicide” as a result of his nine-month ordeal in Croatia.

It was this that set off a train of events in which he was handcuffed and detained by armed Croatian police before being taken strapped in a stretcher to a psychiatric hospital where he was sedated and treated before managing to convince doctors that he should be released.

“Where I was looking for help, I got one of the worst twelve-hour experiences of my life,” said Mr Taylor.

It was last July as he arrived in Croatia for a family holiday that he was first arrested by the Croatian police acting on an extradition request from Monaco.

Monaco, where he worked for oil company SBM Offshore, a Monaco-based oil giant, had accused him of extortion and requested his extradition to the Principality.

However, Mr Taylor’s lawyers claim the extradition bid is “revenge” for his whistleblowing which led to SBM Offshore agreeing to pay out more than £350 million to settle allegations of bribery with the US Justice Department and Dutch authorities, although it denied any liability.

SBM, which did not admit legal liability in the settlements, has previously told The Telegraph it had dropped any legal action against Mr Taylor.

The Monaco justice department has previously said Mr Taylor is being investigated by a judge whose invitations to him to come to Monaco have been spurned.

Watch: What are SPACs?