Qatar confirms arrest of British human rights workers
Qatar has confirmed it is holding two British human rights workers in Doha a week ago while investigating the conditions of Nepalese migrant labourers.
Krishna Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev, who worked for the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD), disappeared after complaining of harassment by the police.
A statement on Saturday by Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs said the men were being investigated for "violating the law of the land" and that security forces had treated the men in accordance with international human rights law.
British consular officials had visited Upadhyaya and Gundev and checked on their well being, the statement added.
"Krishna Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev, who were detained by the security authorities in Qatar on the August 31, are under investigation for violating the law of the land," the statement said.
"Security services followed all the right procedures with the two men and that they were treated with humanity in detention in accordance to the international human rights law, in compliance with the Constitution and the federal laws in Qatar."
There is an ongoing communication between the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs and the security services on one end and the British foreign affairs office on another end. "
The men's families have appealed for their immediate release.
Upadhyaya and Gundev were working on a report on Nepalese migrant workers, according to a statement issued by Upadhyaya's family.
Earlier this year, Qatar unveiled plans to improve workplace safety, housing and pay conditions for expatriate workers.
Excellent move by Qatar
Dear Razaan,
Why Qatar .. Why not Oman or Saudi or UAE as a matter of fact why not any other country ... Its all cheap publicity stunt .. Qatar's already done what no other wd have thought is even possible ..
Where were these fellow countrymen of yours fighting for so called Human Rights blah blah blah before 2010 when Qatar won the bid .. Qatar hosted Common Wealth Games, Asian Games and many more smaller events and at that time as well there were thousands of labours working. But yeah, that time there was no opportunity for cheap publicity as this time ... Think bout this 1 Razaan ... why all of a sudden there is so much curiosity for Qatar .. 95% of these human right advocates are just capitalizing on the world attention that Qatar has, being the first Arab country to host the Biggest sporting event in the world.
I do not say that we do not have a problem here, we have, but tell me one place where we don't have when we talk about an event of this scale. In fact I find this place much better than many places I have lived and worked in. You think the working conditions are better in other parts of the world .. Trust me Qatar is 10 times better than 99% of the countries..
Trust me .. People should stop looking at isolated cases which are made to go out of proportion and try to look at the bigger picture ... Analyze yourself ... Try visiting any of the construction site out here in Qatar under government control. They follow one of the highest safety standard and I am telling you this cause myself I have worked on number of projects in Qatar, last being the National Museum of Qatar ......
*ashhar* - kip ur opinion, feedback & humanity... philosophy with urself .... Keep urself in that place...ask urself if u were like journalist or activist u will go for ur country n ur country people or u will go for the others.....philosophy and practical is total differnet....
PS - Better watch the cat on your shoulder than fingering bugs on other head...
Should be an eye opener for these so called charities and advocates of human rights who are more concerned with finding some spicy story which will shoot them in the lime light ... get more sponsors aka money to pay for the FAT salary cheques for the bosses working in so called Non Profit Organizations (I am not sayin that all of em like this but still ... ). BTW just a thought, does any1 know how much the one makes while working for the charities ...
If they were so concerned with the plight, go to Gaza and report about the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza..
I am here for last couple of years and am working in the construction industry, and yeah, when we talk about hundred of thousands of people working in construction, there ought to be some good as well as bad employers, there will be problems, but that doesn't justify for these so called Human Rights advocates to take some isolated case/incident and blow it out of proportion ...
If you as an organization are so concerned , why don't you go down to Sierra Leone or Sudan or some other countries in Africa and do some charity work/research .. But yeah, neither you will get the CHEAP publicity, nor the money ... In my openion, what these were trying to pull was as the saying goes .. Strike when its still HOT ....
Nobody is above law , that's there to be respected by one & all ........ Sun, 07.09.2014, 08.59 hrs