UN experts urge UAE to release princess who claims she's hostage
UN human rights consultants have expressed alarm over videos alleging the 35-year-old princess is being held against her will.
A group of UN human rights consultants are calling on the United Arab Emirates to provide concrete information about the well-being of Princess Latifa months after the Dubai ruler’s daughter appeared in secret video recordings accusing her family of holding her hostage.
“We are alarmed that, following the public release in February of footage in which Sheikha Latifa reported being deprived of her liberty against her will, and the subsequent official request for further information on her situation, no concrete information has been provided by the authorities,” the independent analysts said in a statement.
In February, the BBC’s “Panorama” program aired videos from Sheikha Latifa that she says she recorded in a locked bathroom on a smuggled cell phone. The 35-year-old princess alleged that she is detained in a villa “converted into a jail” and lacks access to medical help or fresh air. It isn’t known whether Latifa is still alive, as the footage was reportedly filmed between early 2019 and early 2020.
After the UN’s human rights agency asked the Emirati government for proof of life, the UAE released a statement in February saying the princess was being “cared for at home” by family and medical professionals.
