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Doha – Qatar is trying to overcome its diplomatic crisis with Australia over the incident of registering Australian citizens at Doha airport and violating their privacy by offering scapegoats.
On Friday, Qatar announced that those responsible for forcing female travelers to undergo examinations for women at Doha airport were referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the context of these “transgressions.”
The women on 10 flights out of Doha underwent tests as part of authorities’ search for a newborn mother who was found in an airport bathroom on October 2.
According to the incident, Qatari security escorted an unknown number of women from airplanes on the airport runway to ambulances, where they were examined for signs of recent birth.
The Qatari government stated that “the incident and those responsible for these violations and illegal actions were referred to the competent prosecutor’s office, in accordance with the procedures followed.”
She added that the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, “expressed the deep regret and apology of the government of the State of Qatar for the painful experience that some women travelers had suffered with these measures,” according to the statement.
New Zealand announced late Thursday that one of its citizens was among the women who had undergone the test, describing the procedures as “totally unacceptable.”
The incident took place in early October, but was not made public until this week, when the Australian travelers revealed it.
Australia said 13 of its citizens underwent “horrible” checks, while Britain said it was supporting two women over the incident. A French woman was also among the women who underwent the test.
Australian officials said at a session held by a government committee in Canberra on Wednesday that in addition to 18 women aboard a Qatar Airways jet to Sydney, nine other flights were inspected, noting that Australia is working closely with other countries on the subject without naming those countries.
“The other countries affected (by the incident) fully agree with Australia in its views and the strength of its position,” said Francis Adamson, secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“This is by no means normal behavior, and Qataris are aware that it caused a state of panic … We don’t want that to happen again,” he added.
He explained that Australia learned of the incident from an Australian diplomat who was on board the plane. He added that Australian diplomacy had not undergone the vetting process.
The new incident puts Qatar’s diplomacy in a new dilemma, after Doha became an example of human rights violations, either against foreign workers or women, according to reports from human rights organizations.
“Human Rights Watch” called on Wednesday that the airport incident lead to work to protect women, adding that “in Qatar, sexual relations outside of marriage are criminalized, which means that an unmarried pregnant woman, even if the pregnancy is the result of rape, you can end it. To arrest and prosecute. “
According to the statement, “Qatar should prohibit forced gynecological medical examinations and investigate and hold accountable anyone who authorizes any degrading treatment.”
