Days after a video outlining the alleged captivity of Dubai’s Sheikha Latifa, the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in London said that the princess was at home and well cared for.
The statement came after the Princess released a video in which she described how she was taken for her yacht by Indian commandos and officers from United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 4, 2018.
Who is Princess Latifa?
Princess Latifa is the daughter of UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She fled her home in Dubai in 2018 and but was allegedly sent back home in the same year
Why is the Princess in news again?
The BBC’s investigative news programme Panorama on Tuesday published a video it said was of Latifa, in which she says that she is being held against her will in a barricaded villa.
What does Princess Latifa say in the video?
In the video that was reportedly filmed inside her bathroom, Latifa says that she has been held captive at her home in Dubai against her will. In the video, the Princess has also described that around 12-15 commandos from India came on her yacht along with two officers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 4, 2018. Sheikha Latifa says that she was tranquilized and sent back on a private jet. She had said that she was caught despite showing resistance as she kicked and screamed.
The BBC show also cited Latifa’s friend Tina Jauhiainen who claimed to be present on the yacht when the commandos arrived. She said that Latifa’s hands were tied behind her back and she was lying on the floor while the Princess kept pleading.
Why was Sheikh Latifa in India?
According to reports, the Princess said that back then when she was captured, she insisted that she was seeking political asylum and did not want to go to Dubai, however, her plea was not noticed and she was sent back to Dubai on a private jet.
How has UAE responded?
The embassy of the United Arab Emirates in London confirmed that Princess Latifa is being cared for at home, adding that media coverage does not reflect the true situation.
“Her family has confirmed that Her Highness is being cared for at home, supported by her family and medical professionals. She continues to improve and we are hopeful she will return to public life at the appropriate time,” the statement said, passed to Reuters by the UAE foreign ministry.