The imprisonment of Dubai ruler's daughter

The daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai, denounces: "My father is holding me prisoner in Dubai, just because I want to be free".

Princess Latifa, daughter of the Emir of Dubai, asks to be free

The girl launched a request for help with a video message sent to her friends who secretly broadcast it to a BBC program, “Panorama” (BBC News, 2021). The British broadcaster attempted to contact the emirate of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, but they declined to comment.

Latifa in the video message says:<<I am segregated in a villa, turned into a prison. All the windows are barred and I cannot open them, there are seven police officers watching me: two inside and five outside. I locked myself in the bathroom to record this message, I have no other choice >> (The Washington Post, 2021).

The escape attempts

Latifa Al Maktoum, 35, is the daughter of the regent of Dubai and vice president of the United Arab Emirates, considered one of the richest statesmen in the world, but she has always had a very conflicting relationship with her father. Already at 16, the girl had tried to escape. After several years, Princess Latifa is escaped with the complicity of her capoeira instructor, Tiina Jauhiainen, and a French entrepreneur, Herve Jaubert. It was February 2018 when the princess and her instructor went to international waters, where Jaubert was waiting for them on a yacht flying the US flag (The Washington Post, 2021). After eight days, however, a commando had attacked the boat, bringing the princess back to Dubai. Tiina Jauhiainen and Herve Jaubert were detained for two weeks, but nothing more was heard about the emir's daughter.

Concern for the princess of Dubai

In the various messages in which she asks for help, Princess Latifa also claims that she was drugged after being forcibly returned to Dubai. Now, after nearly two years of silence, the Emir's daughter's messages anguish those closest to her even more. Her friends have delivered messages to the Western media, with the aim of alerting the UN as well. "I really don't know what they want to do with me, the situation gets worse day after day, I'm tired of all this," explains the princess (The Guardian, 2021). While her family has always insisted that she is safe. A bipolar disorder rumor had also been spread about her, which turned out to be false.

Elder sister Shamsa and one of the Sheikh's wives also tried to escape

Latifa's older sister, Shamsa, had also tried to escape while she was in the UK but was found and brought back to Dubai where she would be held in deprived conditions (The Guardian, 2021).

Last year, a British court ruled that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum actually orchestrated the kidnapping of Latifa and Shamsa. The sentence was related to a lawsuit involving the sixth and youngest wife of the Sheikh, Princess Haya, 46, who had fled to London in April 2019 with her two young children and who, according to the court, had been subjected to thoughtful "intimidation" by the Sheikh, including attempted kidnapping.

The former UN high commissioner had been misled by the Emir's family

Several public figures worried about princess Latifa. The former UN high commissioner and former Irish president, Mary Robinson, described Latifa as a "troubled young woman" after meeting her in 2018 and now says she was "horribly deceived" by the emir's family. She has called for international action to establish the current conditions and the exact location of the 35-year-old, who has tried to escape twice without success (BBC News, 2021).

The UN will consult the Emirates on the "detention" of Princess Latifa

The United Nations has stated that it will deal with the case of Princess Latifa's detention with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that she will consult the United Arab Emirates. A spokesperson said an investigation could be launched once Princess Latifa's videos are analyzed (BBC News, 2021).

Bibliography

BBC News. (2021, February 16). Princess Latifa: 'Hostage' ordeal of Dubai ruler's daughter revealed. Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56075528

BBC News. (2021, February 16). Princess Latifa: 'Hostage' ordeal of Dubai ruler's daughter revealed. Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56075528

BBC News. (2021, February 16). Princess Latifa: 'Hostage' ordeal of Dubai ruler's daughter revealed. Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56075528

The Guardian. (2021, February 16). Princess Latifa: secret videos raise fears for ruler's daughter forcibly returned to Dubai. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/16/secret-videos-raise-fears-for-princess-latifa-forcibly-returned-to-dubai

The Guardian. (2021, February 16). Princess Latifa: secret videos raise fears for ruler's daughter forcibly returned to Dubai. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/16/secret-videos-raise-fears-for-princess-latifa-forcibly-returned-to-dubai

The Washington Post. (2021, February 17). U.N. says it will question UAE after new footage emerges of ‘hostage’ Princess Latifa, daughter of Dubai ruler. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/02/16/dubai-princess-latifa/

The Washington Post. (2021, February 17). U.N. says it will question UAE after new footage emerges of ‘hostage’ Princess Latifa, daughter of Dubai ruler. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/02/16/dubai-princess-latifa/