[ad_1]
Published in:
Doha (AFP)
On Friday, Qatar announced that those responsible for forcing female travelers to undergo female examinations at Doha airport were referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the context of these “transgressions.”
The women on 10 flights departing from Doha were tested as part of the authorities’ search for the mother of a newborn baby who was found in an airport bathroom on 2 October.
The government stated that “the fact and those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the competent Public Ministry, in accordance with established procedures.”
He 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 travelers had suffered as a result of these measures,” according to the statement.
The accident sparked diplomatic tensions with three friendly countries, Australia, Britain and New Zealand, and then escalated after Qatari authorities refused to apologize, prompting angry reactions on social media against the airline, which is one of the leading companies in the rich emirate.
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.”
“We learned with great concern … that a New Zealand citizen is connected to the terrible accident in which the women were traveling on several Qatar Airways flights,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, describing the matter. as “totally unacceptable”.
The focus of attention was back on the incident this week after Australian female passengers who had been examined spoke about the case.
Australia has so far disclosed that 13 of its citizens have undergone “horrible” checks, while Britain indicated it is supporting two women over the incident. AFP also learned that a French woman was among the women who underwent the test.
Qatar said the newborn girl, still alive, was placed in a plastic bag and thrown to her death in a trash can in a bathroom, which, according to sources, led to the closure of Hamad International Airport.
– “We are very sorry” –
The women were transferred from the plane to ambulances parked on the runway, where they were subjected to checks to see if they had recently given birth.
Wolfgang Babeck, who was on a plane bound for Sydney in connection with the case, said the women who were examined were “very traumatized” after their ordeal.
Qatar is a conservative Islamic emirate that punishes imprisonment for illegal relationships and births outside of marriage.
Before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the emirate made efforts to assure its critics that the promises it made on women’s rights, labor laws and democracy were credible.
Faced with potential reputational and business damage, Qatar has repeatedly made a commitment to ensure the “safety and security” of passengers in the future.
Australia’s criticism of Qatar has escalated increasingly in the absence of a clear apology from Doha in the days after the scandal.
Canberra described the impending investigation as “an important step”.
Australian Foreign Minister Maryse Payne said: “The statement from the Qatari government matches our expectations to show deep regret, responsibility and determination to avoid any repetition of what happened.”
On Friday, Qatar said the working groups were looking for “possible procedural flaws” at the airport.
“This accident is the first of its kind at Hamad International Airport, which served tens of millions of passengers without any such problems,” the Qatari statement added.
He stressed that “what happened completely contradicts the culture and values of Qatar.”
In a statement, the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, expressed “the deep regret and apology of the government of the State of Qatar for what some women travelers were subjected to at Hamad International Airport.” .
© 2020 AFP
