In mid-April, the gas-rich emirate of Qatar found itself in a diplomatic faux pas when questioned by the United Nations Human Rights Committee about its adherence to the conventions and charters it has signed. The Qatari delegation claimed ignorance regarding the fate of a man condemned to death by Doha authorities: the Franco-Algerian businessman Tayeb Benabderrahmane. This led to a significant diplomatic blunder.
Tragicomic Scene in Geneva
Last week in Geneva, the venerable Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, one of the bodies of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, met on April 17 and 18 to review Qatar’s progress in implementing the international convention it signed in 1976. The highlight of this session was a question that has been heavily discussed in recent years: “the situation of non-nationals and migrant workers,” who have long been notoriously mistreated in the kingdom, facing passport confiscations, unfair contracts, and deplorable working conditions, as evidenced by the thousands of workers who tragically died on the World Cup 2022 stadium construction sites.
A Practical Case
In its obsessive quest for respectability, Qatar had sent a particularly substantial delegation to present before the UN experts. Led by Dr. Turki Abdulla Al Mahmoud, Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group also included Brigadier Saad Al Dosari, Human Rights Officer at the Ministry of Interior, Judge Ali Abdullah Al Jusaiman of the Supreme Judicial Council, and Prosecutor Fiesal Mubarak Al Hajri. This distinguished group came to Switzerland to receive praise for their country’s progress on the arduous path of human rights.
A Bitter Turn
However, the anticipated celebration did not occur. The session turned sour due to repeated and insistent questions from Mauritanian and Ivorian experts, focusing on a specific case: Tayeb Benabderrahmane, a migrant worker initially kept in isolation, then imprisoned, later allowed to leave the country, and finally sentenced to death in absentia. This case is well-known to readers of Blast, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Qatari authorities.
The French Guinea Pig of Doha
Employed by the official National Human Rights Committee, Benabderrahmane was arrested on January 13, 2020, subjected to multiple pressures and torture, and placed under house arrest on July 1, 2020. He was finally allowed to leave Doha in October 2020 under particularly murky conditions.
Legal Battle and Injustice
Benabderrahmane filed a complaint for kidnapping, torture, and sequestration, leading to a dramatic raid on Nasser Al-Khelaïfi in July 2023 and high-level diplomatic negotiations, as revealed by Blast. In Washington, he also sued the State of Qatar before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), an arbitral tribunal of the World Bank. Additionally, he was sentenced to death in absentia on May 31, 2023, for alleged espionage for a foreign power, a sentence confirmed by the Qatari Court of Cassation on January 1, 2024.
A Nonchalant Denial
Despite this extensive litigation, the Qatari delegation, perhaps accustomed to complacent international institutions, did not anticipate the issue being raised in Geneva. Consequently, caught off guard by the UN experts’ repeated questions, they responded poorly, repeatedly claiming ignorance of Benabderrahmane’s case.
A Surreal Moment
“I condemn the case you mentioned, the case of Tayeb Benabderrahmane, of which I have never heard before,” exclaimed Dr. Turki Abdulla Al Mahmoud in a surreal moment. “It would be useful to provide us with information on this situation so that we can respond to the committee and address it with the security forces and judicial authorities of the State of Qatar.”
Judge Ali Abdullah Al Jusaiman echoed this sentiment, also seeking the truth: “I hope you will provide us with details about the case you mentioned because we were not aware of it before.”
The Grand Art of Doha
The declarations of ignorance by high-ranking officials, if genuine, raise the possibility of extrajudicial actions—his isolation, death sentence, and torture—all aimed at silencing him. This scenario could significantly impact ongoing judicial proceedings. Alternatively, if the delegation knew of Benabderrahmane’s case, their consistent and repeated lies to the UN would constitute a particularly humiliating diplomatic incident for Qatar, demonstrating Doha’s disregard for the international community and its principles.
A Cornelian Dilemma
Facing either judicial or diplomatic embarrassment, Doha showcases its expertise in navigating such Cornelian dilemmas without effectively improving its image.
This incident highlights the serious human rights violations that persist in Qatar and the challenges faced by individuals like Tayeb Benabderrahmane who seek justice against powerful regimes.
Source : Blast