UN says UAE failed to give proof that Princess Latifa is alive, seeks compelling evidence

Marking the latest development regarding Dubai’s missing Princess Latifa, the United Nations (UN), on April 10, said that it has failed to get any compelling proof, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the princess was still alive. In February, BBC released a video that featured Sheikh Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum revealing that she has been held hostage by her own father, the ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the UAE. However, the Arab state dismissed the claim stating that Latifa was home and was being cared for.

‘No proof of life’ 

Since the video clip surfaced, the UN Human Rights office has repeatedly asked Dubai to provide “proof of life” for Latifa. The organisation’s call has also been reiterated by a number of foreign leaders including UK foreign Secretary Dominic Raab amongst others. Regardless, Dubai has failed to report the condition of Princess Latifa or even respond to the UN’s request.

“We haven’t got any proof of life, and we would like one, one that is clear compelling evidence that she is alive. Our first concern of course is to be sure of that, that she is still alive,” UN spokesperson Marta Hurtado told a briefing in Geneva. 

In February 2021, the Arab royal reappeared in a BBC investigative news programme, where she accused her father, UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, of holding her hostage in a villa-turned jail in Dubai. In the video, Sheikha Latifa, who tried to flee UAE in 2018 but was allegedly captured by the Indian coast guard and sent back to her home country, was seen recording the video inside a bathroom, saying it is the only room with a door. Further in the programme, Sheikha Latifa says she is worried about her safety and life. 

Shekha Latifa claims that the house where she is being held "hostage" has only tinted windows and she has not seen sunlight for a very long time. According to the documentary, Tiina Jauhiainen, a friend of Sheikha Latifa, somehow managed to get her a cell phone a year after the failed escape attempt. Sheikha Latifa used the phone to record the videos and send them to BBC for the news programme.  

Source: https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/un-says-uae-failed-to-give-proof-that-princess-latifa-is-alive-seeks-compelling-evidence.html

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