UAE says Princess Latifa 'cared for at home' amid hostage claims
After Sheikha Latifa claimed she was being held hostage, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights asked the Emirati government to provide evidence that she is alive.
The United Arab Emirates on Friday pushed back on reports that the daughter of Dubai’s ruler is being held hostage, saying in a statement that Sheikha Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was being “cared for at home.”
The United Nations has asked the UAE for proof that Latifa is alive after the BBC’s “Panorama” program aired a series of videos recorded by Latifa during which she claimed to be held captive in a villa “converted into a jail” without access to medical help or the ability to get fresh air.
The alarming footage, which was reportedly filmed on a smuggled cell phone from inside a locked bathroom, raised concerns among human rights groups and the British government. Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Friday that the UN agency has asked the Emirati government for proof of life.
The UAE Embassy in London issued a statement later Friday, describing the coverage of Latifa as “not reflective of the actual position” of the princess.
