Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and FairSquare have called for the immediate release and compensation of Abdullah Ibhais, following a determination by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that his 2019 detention was arbitrary. Ibhais, a former media manager for Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, had been vocal about the poor conditions faced by migrant workers on World Cup construction sites.
The UN Working Group classified Ibhais’ detention under multiple violations: detention without legal basis, detention for peaceful expression, and a failure to uphold international fair trial standards. Ibhais was denied legal assistance despite requesting it multiple times after his arrest on November 12, 2019. He was interrogated without a lawyer present and could not contact a lawyer until nine days later, in violation of international human rights laws such as Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 14(3)(b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Furthermore, the only incriminating evidence at his trial was a confession he signed under duress.
In August 2019, around 5,000 migrant workers protested in Qatar over unpaid wages and poor work conditions, despite the country’s ban on protests. The workers’ grievances were exacerbated by the approach of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Article 116 of Qatar Labor Law No. (14) 2004 permits only Qatari nationals to form workers’ associations, effectively denying migrant workers their right to form trade unions, despite Qatar’s accession to both the ICCPR and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 2018.
Hassan Al-Thawadi, the general secretary of Qatar’s Supreme Committee, had urged his communications team to downplay the connection between the strike and the World Cup. Ibhais, who had personally spoken with striking workers living in unsuitable conditions, advised against issuing misleading statements. He was then removed from his position, accused of fraud, and sentenced to five years in prison. In September 2021, Ibhais reached out to FIFA through its whistleblowing platform, but it has yet to provide substantial support in his case.
The UN Working Group has urged the Qatari government, which has not yet responded, to release Ibhais and provide him with compensation under international law. Although Ibhais is scheduled for release in October, his sentence includes a fine, and failure to pay it could delay his release until April 2025. More details on the call for Ibhais’ release can be found here.