The UN human rights body is investigating recently released videos in which a daughter of the Dubai ruler claims to be taken hostage, while the UK on Wednesday called for evidence that she is still alive.
Mohammed Al Maktoum, 35, used a phone that smuggled him to his “village prison” to ask for help in messages posted to the BBC after his followers lost contact about six months ago.
“I am a hostage … I am concerned for my safety and my life,” whispered Latifa, who is considered one of nearly 30 children the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has with numerous women. .
“I don’t know if I will survive this situation,” he said in one of the clips aired on Tuesday night by the BBC’s “Panorama” program.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it would “raise these new developments with the United Arab Emirates,” where Sheikh Mohammed, 71, serves as prime minister and vice president.
“Other parts of the UN human rights system can also be involved with the relevant mandates once they have analyzed the new material or received specific complaints,” spokesman Rupert Colville told the BBC.
Marcus Essabri, one of Latifa’s cousins who lives in England, told the BBC that the videos stopped about six months ago and that since then there has been no word from Latifa.
“I’m afraid they caught her with the phone and now I’m afraid of her safety,” he said.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called for the videos “Very distressing” and asked for proof that the princess was still alive.
“It’s deeply worrying and you can see a young woman in grave distress,” Raab told ITV, supporting the UN investigation.
“Given what we just saw, I think people only on a human level would like to see it alive and in good condition.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his administration would oversee the investigation. “It’s obviously something that worries us, but the UN Commission on Human Rights is looking at it,” he said. “I think what we will do is wait and see how they develop. We will keep an eye on it. ”
Amnesty International called the videos “creepy” and said it was “extremely concerned about their safety”.
Rodney Dixon, a London-based Sheikha Latifa lawyer, called on Dubai to “do things right”.
“Free the princess,” he said.
A support group, Free Latifa, said the princess has been taken hostage by her father since she was captured trying to flee Dubai in 2018.
Before Tuesday, the only time she had been seen since she was returned to Dubai was when her family posted photos of her sitting with Mary Robinson, a former Irish president and High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations, at the end of 2018.
But Robinson told the BBC she had been “horribly fooled” into putting up the photos and did not ask Latifa about her situation because she was confident she had a mental illness.
Sheikh Mohammed and the royal court of Dubai have said Latifa is safe in the loving care of her family. The Dubai Press Office of the UAE government did not respond to a request for comment, The Associated Press said.
With publishing cables