Queen Noor of Jordan has waded in on the controversy regarding the missing Dubai Princess Latifa whose friends recently released secretly recorded videos of the royal in captivity.
Queen Noor, who sits on the board of commissioners for the International Commission on Missing Persons, retweeted an article about Princess Latifa and asked: “Where is her sister Shamsa??”
Noor has also shared other articles about Latifa on her account.
Shamsa was kidnapped in Cambridge 20 years ago and hasn’t been seen since. Latifa spoke about her missing sister in her escape video back in 2018.
American-born Noor is the widow of Jordan’s King Hussein and stepmother to King Abdullah II and Princess Haya – the former wife of Latifa’s father, Sheikh Mohammed, Rule of Dubai.
Queen Noor is the first royal to speak out on the issue publicly. During the High Court case in England last year between Princess Haya and the Sheikh, judges found that Latifa’s father kidnapped the Princess. In this fact-finding judgment, it was found that Latifa attempted to escape the UAE in 2018 and made a dramatic video exposing her father’s nature to the world. Her video was used as evidence in the hearing, and her allegations of physical abuse and torture were deemed credible, as were her sister, Shamsa’s.
The United Nations has said they will question the United Arab Emirates regarding Princess Latifa after videos she recorded while being imprisoned were released to the media.
Latifa secretly recorded videos in the ‘jail villa’ she is being held in, where she says she’s been held hostage in Dubai since 2018. She talks about fearing for her life in the videos and how she is not allowed even to see the sunlight.
The secret videos were shared with the BBC and Sky News last week.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that they will be questioning the UAE soon regarding Sheikha Latifa’s situation. A spokesman, Rupert Colville, told the BBC: “We will certainly raise these new developments with the UAE. Other parts of the UN human rights system with relevant mandates may also become involved once they have analysed the new material.”
Princess Latifa also said that she had been “a hostage” in “solitary confinement” for more than a year with no access to medical or legal help. The secret messages that the Princess recorded for her friends have since stopped.
No proof has been offered, however, a statement has been released by the UAE embassy in London on behalf of Dubai’s royal family
The statement reads: “In response to media reports regarding Sheikha Latifa, we want to thank those who have expressed concern for her wellbeing, despite the coverage which certainly is not reflective of the actual position.
“Her family has confirmed that Her Highness is being cared for at home, supported by her family and medical professionals.”
