Mea culpa from Qatar after forced gynecology exams at Doha airport
A Qatar Airways plane landing at Doha Airport on June 5, 2017 (illustrative image).
Reuters / Naseem Zeitoon
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Qatar mea culpa after an extremely embarrassing case revealed in recent days: the passengers of several international flights were forced to have forced gynecological examinations on October 2, at the international airport of Doha.
The emirate announces an investigation.
Publicity
Read more
That day, a prematurely born baby was found apparently abandoned in a toilet at Doha airport.
What happened next was told by several passengers.
The planes taking off are immobilized on the runway.
The authorities ask the passengers to get off.
They are then subjected to a forced gynecological examination to determine if they have just given birth.
A
passenger contacted by RFI
in recent days recounted the shock of the women, stunned and upset, on their return to the plane.
"
Prevent the flight of perpetrators
"
This Tuesday, Qatar speaks publicly about this event regretting "
the distress or violation of individual freedoms
" which may have been caused to travelers.
The press release assures us that the operation decided on in an emergency was aimed "
at preventing the escape of the perpetrators of a horrible crime
".
The Prime Minister of Qatar promises a "
full and transparent
"
investigation
.
The immediate challenge is to appease the anger of Australia, a country from which several of the victims come from and which has strongly protested.
The case is particularly embarrassing for Qatar, which has been preparing for years to host a major international event:
the 2022 World Cup
.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Qatar
Womens rights
Human rights
Transport
On the same subject
Qatar: Passengers forced to undergo gynecological examinations at Doha airport