Princess Latifa: UN ‘very concerned’ about situation and still awaiting ‘proof of life’

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The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Friday it has asked the UAE for “proof of life” for the princess, but has not received it.

“We don’t have any proof of life, and we would like to. Clear, compelling proof that she’s alive. And our primary concern for us is to make sure of it,” spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told a briefing in Geneva. . “We have tried to set up a meeting between senior officials, with the new UAE ambassador to the UN in Geneva. In principle, the mission has accepted these requests, but we do not have a fixed date yet.”

CNN has contacted the UAE for comment.

In secret footage obtained by the BBC and shared with CNN in February, Princess Latifa claimed she was held hostage in a “villa converted into a prison” without access to medical assistance. In response, the Dubai Royal Family said in a statement that Latifa is cared for at home by family and medical professionals.

Hurtado told the briefing that the OHCHR would “ ideally meet her ” and “ only talk to her to investigate all aspects of her situation. ”

“We’re going to convey that in this meeting, if it takes place,” she added. When asked why such meetings have not yet taken place despite repeated calls from the OHCHR, Hurtado replied that the question should be referred to the UAE authorities.

Hurtado also said her office would “raise the case of Latifa’s sister, Sheikha Shamsa, asking about their whereabouts.”

In late February, Latifa sent a letter – shared with CNN – to British police requesting that they investigate the alleged kidnapping of her older sister, Princess Shamsa, from Britain in 2000.

“We are very concerned about both cases because we don’t know what’s going on,” Hurtado said. “That’s why we don’t just ask where they are, but we want to meet them. We want to talk to them. We want to understand what their situation is, as is the case not only with these two women, but also in other cases of people. they have disappeared, or perhaps disappeared all over the world, ”she added.

“We follow up many things, [on a] daily basis of people who have disappeared or whose whereabouts we do not know. That is why we are here raising their case internally, privately but also publicly and expressing that we are indeed deeply concerned about the situation, ”concluded the OHCHR spokeswoman.

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