The daughter of Dubai’s ruler who claimed she was being held hostage by her father has assured the United Nations’ (UN) human rights chief she is well and “living as she wishes”.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, met with Princess Latifa on an unspecified date in Paris at the request of the latter, as documented in a photograph shared on the organisation’s official Twitter page yesterday.
It comes after BBC Panorama released footage secretly filmed by the princess in 2021, in which she described herself as being “held hostage” in a villa that “has been converted into a jail” after she attempted to flee the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a yacht in 2018.
There was international outcry after the footage was released, with a UN panel calling on Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to provide information on his daughter, including “proof of life”.
In light of last year’s events, yesterday’s tweet reads: “Michelle Bachelet has met Dubai’s Sheikha Latifa, at latter’s request, in Paris. After introduction with Latifa’s legal advisor, the High Commissioner & Latifa met in private. Latifa conveyed to the High Commissioner that she was well & expressed her wish for respect for her privacy.”
A statement issued to Sky News on behalf of the princess said: “Sheikha Latifa had a lengthy, positive and private meeting with the High Commissioner.
“She would like to make clear that she is living as she wishes, that she is travelling as she wishes, that she is perfectly well and would like the media to allow her to live in peace.”
It follows the abrupt end brought to the campaign to free Princess Latifa after an image emerged of her in Iceland.
The picture, posted on Instagram by friend Sioned Taylor on Monday, shows the 35-year-old standing alongside Ms Taylor and her cousin Marcus Essabri.
The two women were also pictured on a “European holiday” in Spain in June.
Mr Essabri said the pair had an “emotional reunion” in Iceland in a statement released by the Free Latifa campaign.
“Following the meeting between Marcus and Latifa in Iceland it has been decided that the most appropriate step at this time is to close the Free Latifa campaign,” it said.
“The primary purpose of the FreeLatifa campaign was to see Latifa free leading the life she chooses for herself.
“We have clearly gone a long way towards achieving that goal over the last three years, with bodies such as the United Nations now monitoring the current and future wellbeing of Latifa.”
