The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing: OHCHR update on Princess Latifa and Prince Hamzah
STORYLINE
OHCHR reiterates concerns over Jordanian prince and Dubai princess.
It is still not clear if Jordan’s Prince Hamzah is under de facto house arrest or not, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday.
Despite an ongoing investigation into the Prince’s disappearance, Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the OHCHR, told journalists that “no charges have yet been brought…We are concerned at the lack of transparency around these arrests and detentions”.
It has been widely reported that Jordan's King Abdullah II placed his half-brother, Prince Hamzah under house arrest on 3 April for allegedly plotting with foreign supporters to destabilise Jordan.
Hamzah has denied the allegations, saying he was speaking out against corruption and mismanagement.
The arrests of Prince Hamzah and at least 16 other senior officials and tribal leaders are “the latest in an escalating series of measures over the past year, targeting in particular criticism of government policies and corruption,” said Ms. Hurtado.
Regarding the continuing efforts to trace Princess Latifa Al Maktoum, the daughter of Dubai's ruler, the OHCHR spokesperson said that the office still hadn’t received “any proof of life”.
Princess Latifa reportedly tried to flee the Emirate in 2018 but was forcibly returned. Dubai's royal family has previously said that she is safe and being "cared for at home".
In smuggled phone video messages taken over the last two years , she claimed she was being held “hostage” in a locked villa surrounded by police.
The messages have since ceased, and in February the UN asked the United Arab Emirates for proof that Princess Latifa was alive. To date, there has been no confirmation of this.
“We would like clear compelling evidence that she is alive,” said Ms. Hurtado “and ideally of course, we would like to meet her, to talk to her freely, alone, and to examine all the aspects of her situation”, she added.
Reiterating the efforts that have so far been made, Ms. Hurtado said the OHCHR was assessing a number of possible options: “We’re trying to set up a meeting between senior human rights officials and the new Ambassador of the UAE to the UN in Geneva.”
“In principle, the Missions have accepted this request, but we have not a fixed date yet,” she concluded.
ends
STORY: OHCHR update on Princess Latifa and Prince Hamzah
TRT: 02 min 45s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 9 APRIL 2021 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations building and flag alley, a sunny day.
- Wide shot, podium with speakers in a near-empty Room XIV in line with COVID-19 distancing measures, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are following the events concerning Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, the former Crown Prince of Jordan, and the arrest and detention of at least 16 other senior officials and tribal leaders on the 3 April. We are aware that there is an ongoing investigation but still it’s not clear to us is if following the mediation on 5 April, Prince Hamzah is still under de facto house arrest or not.”
- Close-up, UN logo, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “It appears that no charges have been yet brought and we are concerned at the lack of transparency around these arrests and detentions. We underline that an investigation, including investigations on the basis of accusations linked to national security, must be conducted in line with international human rights law.”
- Close-up, UNTV camera, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The 3 April arrest were the latest in an escalating series of measures over the past year, targeting in particular criticism of government policies and corruption, and contributing to an increasingly repressive securitisation of society.”
- Medium shot, podium with speakers to rear, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are assessing a number of possible options. We’ve been in contact with the mission of the UAE here, we’re trying to set up a meeting between senior human rights officials and the new Ambassador of the UAE to the UN in Geneva and in principle the missions have accepted this request but we have not a fixed date yet.”
- Medium shot, UNTV camera in foreground and podium with speakers to rear, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Marta Hurtado, spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Yes, we haven’t got any proof of life and we would like one, and one that is clear compelling evidence that she is alive and our first concern, of course, is to be sure of that, that she is still alive. And ideally of course, we would like to meet her, to talk to her freely, alone, and to examine all the aspects of her situation.”
- Close-up, laptop screen, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
- Medium close-up, UN logo, Room XIV, Palais des Nations.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
A little over one year since a ceasefire agreement was announced between Hamas fighters and Israel, more than 340 children have been reported killed and hundreds more injured, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IFRC
Six weeks after Nepal’s deadly flooding disaster, communities are still struggling to rebuild their lives, but they will need sustained help as global warming increases the risk of another Himalayan catastrophe, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
In suspected Russia plague death, testing and monitoring underway – WHO
The death of a lab worker in Russia’s Siberia region has sparked concerns about plague being the cause, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, adding that it was following the situation closely.
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on the human rights situation in Haiti.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the wartorn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “A truck full of non-priority supplies or the right supplies arriving too late, doesn't save lives. That's the question that actually matters," said Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the OPT.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UN
Civilians in Iran are continuing to feel the consequences of months of conflict and military escalation, the UN’s top official in the country has said, as loss of life, damage to civilian infrastructure and mounting economic pressures leave many facing continued uncertainty.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNICEF
Aid agencies in Yemen highlighted the growing hunger emergency sparked by renewed fighting between Houthi opposition forces and Government troops, after mobile health clinics reported that hundreds of children displaced by the violence are suffering from the most deadly form of malnutrition.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Displacement on the rise in Yemen as fighting continues - UNHCR
As hostilities worsen in Yemen, more people have been fleeing their homes, further intensifying the humanitarian crisis within the region, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , OHCHR , UNFPA , UNOG , UNHCR , WHO
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis growing by the hour amid spike in displacement
Yemenis displaced by renewed fighting have described fleeing for their lives amid shelling and gunfire, aid agencies reported on Friday, while highlighting the dramatic increase in humanitarian needs in the country and in Djibouti, where thousands have sought shelter.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office issued on Friday a report documenting a shocking pattern of sexual violence amid Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine.