Noof Al-Maadeed is in grave danger, despite reassurances from Qatari Authorities
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Roshan Amiri
- . December 16, 2021
- . Update: December 17, 2021 10:28 am
Qatar– News have been provoked on social media about the fate of Qatari activist Noof Al-Maadeed following human rights allegations that she was killed by family members nearly two months ago.
The British newspaper, The Guardian, stated that human rights groups are now calling on the Qatari authorities to show evidence that Noof is still alive “. Noof Al-Maadeed has been missing since mid-October after returning to Qatar from Britain.
The Qatari activist, who escaped two years ago, documented her escape on social media after alleged attempts to kill her. She recently returned to Qatar after being assured by the authorities that she would be protected.
On October 13th, the 23-year-old told her followers to worry about her safety if she stopped tweeting on daily basis , saying that if she did not post on social media, then she would be dead. After she stopped tweeting, her supporters were concerned and began using the hashtag “#whereisNoof” demanding to know the reason behind her disappearance
Qatari official responds
A Qatari official confirmed to The Guardian that Noof is safe and sound, however “They were unable to speak publicly for privacy reasons ,” he said. KHALED IBRAHIM, chief Of The Gulf Center For Human Rights , said : “The Qatari government can easily prove to the International community that Noof is alive ,however, they have no evidence, and that’s what concerns us.”
The Gulf Center for Human Rights indicated that it had received several reports that Qatari authorities had handed over Noof to her family on October 13th. Ibrahim and other supporters of Al-Maadeed said it is the responsibility of the Qatari authorities to prove that the activist is safe and alive.
He stated : “What we know for sure is that she’s in imminent danger at the moment.She was either killed or arrested, no doubt about it.” Ibrahim also accused the Qatari authorities of abandoning their own assurances to Noof that she would be protected upon her return.
As a result of these assurances, Noof cancelled her application for political asylum in the united kingdom and had returned to the gulf state to stay in a hotel under the control of security officials.
“Sheikh Tamim is the only one who can prevent the danger to my life”
In early October, Al-Madeed added that her father had entered the hotel and that her life was in danger. after three alleged previous attempts to kill her by members of her family. On October 12th, she tweeted: “Sheikh Tamim is the only one who can prevent the danger to my life.” Later, she wrote that she’s still “unsafe,” and has not spoken publicly since then.
Al-Maadeed documented her trip from Qatar two years ago, which included stealing her father’s mobile phone to request an exit permit. Qatari guardianship laws prohibit unmarried women under the age of 25 from travelling alone outside the state without the permission of the male guardian.
Human rights watch reported earlier this year that Qatari guardianship laws restrict women’s access to many basic rights, including access to certain jobs, travel abroad, and reproductive health care. They added that the lack of clarity on guardianship legislation meant the continuation of socially conservative policies, despite changes in the law.
