The reporting on disregards of human rights in Qatar also tears during the World Cup General, the Arab Cup, not. After repeatedly expressed human rights organizations — including Amnesty International critically about the states in the Arab Emirate, it came to the next Slat in the host country of the coming football world championship. The focus is on Abdullah Ibis, by the end of 2019 Media and Communication Director of the Organizing Committee.

Examination according to differences with committee boss

Against the Jordanian, an internal investigation had been initiated in October 2019 because he supposedly assumed bribe. Previously, he had put himself in a confrontation against the committee boss Hassan al-Ghamdi in August of the same year, who wanted to prevent critical reporting about the World Cup.

In this, it was about a strike and the rights of the workers on the construction sites of the World Cup stadiums. After completing the investigation against Ibis, this was arrested in November 2019 and sentenced to five years in April this year — in a negotiation in which no evidence has been made against him, he was not presented and deprived of his lawyer the right of defense was based on a supposed confession, which had been enforced by threats.

Detention shortly before interview with critical journalists

After in the course of an opposition, in the meantime had been back on free foot, he was taken again a few weeks in custody. This was just a few hours before a planned interview with two Norwegian journalists — which in turn were briefly imprisoned after a critical live circuit in Norwegian state television, where it was the situation of the guest workers in Qatar, also imprisoned.

Now the hammer fell again in Doha before the Court of Appeal, which Ibis condemned to three years imprisonment. According to the Norwegian football magazine Josiah, which has been accompanied by him since the first trial, again in a procedure in which no evidence was provided against him and he himself was not allowed to be present. Human Rights Watch and Fair square had already criticized this deal with the first procedure in April and demanded a fair trial. This has now given it according to Katarische authorities.

Repeated influence on lawyers

But that’s not enough: how Josiah is further reporting, Ibis’ current lawyer — the fourth since the beginning of the investigation in 2019 — has been asked by the World Cup Organizing Committee to declare its mandate. Otherwise, he would damage his career. According to the Whistleblowers family, no one-by-case basis: We are not surprised by this development. This is not the first time that the Committee has contacted the Abdullah’s legal assistance to ask him to lay down his mandate.

So Asia ‘Al Ghana, the second lawyer Ibis’, came back from her mandate after seven months and is now working on the legal department of the Organizing Committee. This denial to Josiah categorically all allegations. It was merely a conflict of interest.

The FIFA remains silent

The ABDULLAH IBIS family also focused on the World Association in its opinion: We require serious and immediate FIFA measures to stop the injustice of the country’s authorities, which they have selected as host of the World Cup. Whether the FIFA, whose primarily official at President Gianni Infantino currently linger in Qatar due to the Arab Cup, expresses itself to the events, remains uncertain.

The Ibis family will continue to hope. Because There is no justification for his detention.