Noof Al-Maadeed Focus on Qatar human rights after girl goes missing

The 23 year old women’s rights activist was living in exile in Cardiff when she agreed to return to Qatar after authorities promised she would be safe. While some news reports have suggested she was executed, reports have indicated she is being forcibly drugged and held in a hospital against her will.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Due Process International and Detained in Doha, represented Princess Latifa after her capture and forced return to the UAE. Stirling has advocated for a number of women fleeing dangerous situations in the Middle East. Dua and Dalal fled from Saudi while Rahaf Mohammad became a Canadian resident after a worldwide campaign saw her live streaming from a barricaded hotel room in Asia. Emirati woman, Hind Al Balooki was helped by Detained in Dubai. “Hind is enjoying her life in Europe now but others have not been so lucky”, said Ms Stirling, “Sheikha Shamsa Al Maktoum and her sister Sheikha Latifa were both forced back to the UAE and many other girls have disappeared off radar completely, leaving grave concerns for their safety”.

Detained in Doha was founded to help people facing injustice in Qatar, a tiny country that has managed to avoid the substantial criticism that neighbouring UAE has attracted over the past decade. “The lack of criticism is directly tied to the lack of tourism. Dubai has certainly dominated the gulf region in that area but with FIFA 2022 coming up, we are likely to see an increase in legal and human rights issues.