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Sheikha Latifa, a Dubian Princess, shared a video stating that she is being held hostage, according to The Daily Wire.
Latifa claimed that she fears for her life and is being held captive by her family.
“So I am in a villa,” she says in a video. “I’m a hostage and this villa has been converted into a jail. All the windows are barred shut, I can’t open any window. There’s five policeman outside and two policewomen inside the house. And I can’t even go outside to get any fresh air.”
“Every day I am worried about my safety and my life. I really don’t know if I’m going to survive the situation. The police threatened me that I’ll be in prison my whole life and I’ll never see the sun again … I just want to be free. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with me. I really don’t know. So the situation is getting more desperate every day. I am just really, really tired of this now.”
The governments of Dubai and the UAE have failed to respond to requests for comment from the BBC. The only response received is that Latifa is safe in the loving care of her family.
NBC reported it “has not independently obtained or verified the videos. But a spokesman for the Free Latifa campaign, a group that has long called for her release, confirmed that two of the people behind the drive had shared the videos with the British broadcaster.”
Latifa was caught attempting to escape Dubai after planning the escape for 7 years.
“What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life. Pressure mounts on Biden to address the plight of Princess Latifa, detained by her father, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.”
What kind of ally puts his daughter in endless solitary confinement because she wanted to lead an independent life. Pressure mounts on Biden to address the plight of Princess Latifa, detained by her father, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum. https://t.co/VTCVMwXpEA pic.twitter.com/grRDxpmHja
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) February 17, 2021
From The Daily Wire:
In the past, Emirati officials have said that her situation was a family affair, claiming that she has not been held against her will.
Some advocates of human rights not only hope that the newly released video pleas by the princess will assist in her release but that they will also shed light on the broader human rights abuses in the kingdom that have gone unchecked.
NBC reports that, according to Human Rights Watch, the United Arab Emirates typically imprisons people who criticize officials. There are reportedly hundreds of activists and academics who are serving sentences.
Emirati laws also discriminate against women, migrants and LGBTQ individuals, [Human Rights Watch] says, adding that the families of detained activists are also often harassed by the state security apparatus.
Kenneth Roth is the Executive Director of the New York-based non-profit, nongovernmental human rights organization. On Wednesday, he tweeted a message with a photo of the princess, condemning the country’s actions and mentioning the President of the United States, as well.
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