US college students arrested abroad fight to get home after passports seized: ‘Done nothing wrong’

The two American college students arrested in Denmark following an alleged dispute with an Uber driver are facing yet another hurdle abroad as they try to return home to the United States. 

Owen Ray, a 19-year-old studying at Miami University in Ohio, and his friend have reportedly had their passports seized by Danish authorities, following their release from prison on Monday. 

“We remain deeply concerned that Danish authorities have confiscated his passport and will not allow him to return to the United States – something we understand is unusual in Danish court proceedings,” Ray’s parents, Andy Ray and Sara Buchen-Ray, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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The two friends were enjoying a spring break trip when they called an Uber on March 31, according to Ray’s family. When the driver arrived, Ray realized he had entered the wrong destination address and reportedly asked to be taken to a different hotel.

The driver declined to take Ray and his friend to the new location and the pair exited the vehicle while canceling the ride, triggering a cancellation fee, according to a family spokesperson. 

The pair began walking toward the hotel while calling a replacement Uber. Minutes later, the original driver began following Ray and his friend, threatening to call the police and claiming he had not received payment, a family spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

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Ray reportedly told the driver to call the authorities, insisting they had done nothing wrong and that the driver was paid. 

“We said, ‘We’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve done nothing wrong.’ He then started an altercation with us,” Ray told “Good Morning America” on Monday. 

However, the situation reportedly escalated into a physical altercation before the pair escaped and returned to their hotel. 

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The next morning, Ray and his friend arrived at Copenhagen Airport and were arrested by Danish authorities. The two friends were charged with simple assault and appeared in court later that day, a Copenhagen police spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

“We were both just very shocked about the fact that we were being arrested over this incident,” Ray said. “We had done nothing wrong.” 

Ray and his friend were sentenced to an initial 10-day, pre-trial detention as the investigation remained ongoing. However, their sentences were subsequently extended until April 24. 

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On Monday, the friends were released after spending two weeks in a Danish prison, but have been ordered to check in with authorities daily after having their passports confiscated, according to Copenhagen police. 

“Since they are still charged in the case, it is standard procedure to confiscate the passports until the court hearing,” a Copenhagen police spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Their next court hearing is set for April 24. 

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“The facts make clear that Owen is the victim in this case, and we urge Danish officials to allow him to return home to the United States without delay,” Ray’s parents said in a statement. 

The incident was reportedly captured on the Uber driver’s dashcam and has been entered into evidence in the case. 

“The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, and we take reports of violence very seriously,” Uber said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The driver reported to Uber that he was assaulted by two riders who were later arrested by Danish police.” 

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Ray’s Denmark-based attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

“We are aware of media reports of two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Staff at our embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance. The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.”

Miami University in Ohio did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

“I just hope that Denmark and the legal authorities here are able to – and the U.S. government can help us and do what they can to help us be released by Easter, so I can be home with my family,” Ray told “Good Morning America.”

“I think the best case would be for the Danish police and the prosecutor to drop the case at this point, because we’re completely innocent, and for them to return us our passports and allow us to head back to the United States.”