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Sheikha Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, لطيفة بنت محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, translit=Laṭīfa bint Muḥammad bin Rāshid al-Maktūm; born 5 December 1985) is an Emirati sheikha and a member of the Dubai ruling family. She is the daughter of Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. ...
, Prime Minister of the UAE, and an
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
n woman named Huriah Ahmed al M'aash. Sheikha Latifa has two half-sisters with the same name. She is the full sister of Sheikha Maitha (born 1980), Sheikha Shamsa (born 1981), and Sheikh Majid (born 1987). Sheikha Latifa escaped from Dubai in late February 2018 and was forcibly returned from international waters near the Indian coast by a joint India–Emirates operation on 4 March 2018. In December 2018, the Dubai royal court said that she was back in Dubai. She was believed to be held against her will under the order of her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In June 2021, a brief statement issued on her behalf by law firm
Taylor Wessing Taylor Wessing LLP is an international law firm with 28 offices internationally. The firm has over 300 partners and over 1000 lawyers worldwide. The company was formed as a result of a merger of the British law firm ''Taylor Joynson Garrett'' a ...
stated that she was free to travel and wants privacy. In August 2021 and after Latifa had been photographed in public places in Dubai, Spain and Iceland, the #FreeLatifa campaign, which had lasted three and a half years, came to an end. In February 2022, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
, stated that she met Latifa in Paris and that Latifa was well and wished for respect for her privacy.


Early life

Sheikha Latifa is one of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's children. Her mother is Huriah Ahmed al M’aash. In a video statement, Sheikha Latifa said that she and her brother Sheikh Majid spent their early childhood under the care of their paternal aunt. Her early education was at the Dubai English Speaking School and later at the International School of Choueifat, with one year at the
Latifa School for Girls Latifa School for Girls was founded in 1982 by Sheikh Maktoum. It was headed by Tim Charlton, who also founded Dubai College in 1978. External links *www.dubaifaqs.com/latifa-school-for-girls.php- Dubai FAQs information. International sch ...
. Sheikha Latifa is an experienced skydiver, coached by former world champion skydiver Stefania Martinengo, and held
accelerated freefall {{unreferenced, date=December 2016 Accelerated freefall (AFF) (known in Canada as progressive freefall, and in Finland as Nova (''NO''peutettu ''VA''paapudotus, a literal translation)) is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving tra ...
instructor rating. In 2002, at the age of 16 years, a first attempt by Sheikha Latifa to escape ended in her capture at the Emirati-Omani border; she was subsequently jailed for three years and four months. She claimed in the video statement to have been kept in solitary confinement and subject to "constant torture", physically through beatings and mentally, during her arrest.


2018 disappearance

On 24 February 2018, Sheikha Latifa and her Finnish friend Tiina Jauhiainen left Dubai in a car and crossed the border to Oman. They left Oman on jet skis and joined American–French citizen and former French intelligence officer
Hervé Jaubert Hervé Jaubert (born 13 March 1956) is a former French Navy officer, marine engineer and DGSE secret agent. He moved to Stuart, Florida in the early 2000s where he set up a company to build and operate recreational submarines. He then moved his ...
and his crew on the yacht ''Nostromo''. Two days later, she made contact with
Radha Stirling Radha Stirling is a human rights advocate, and lawyer, specializing in legal issues in the Middle East. She is the founder of the United Kingdom-based organisations Detained in Dubai, Due Process International and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) Re ...
of
Detained in Dubai Detained in Dubai is a London-based organisation founded in 2008 by Radha Stirling, which states its aim is to help foreigners abroad. Detained in Dubai was founded when Cat Le-Huy, a colleague of Stirling's from Endemol, was arrested in the UAE ...
, notifying Stirling of her departure from Dubai. She also posted a few departing messages on her verified
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
social media account. On 3 March 2018, Jaubert made contact with an Indian journalist in preparation for the end of their journey. The following day, Sheikha Latifa, Jaubert and Jauhiainen, along with the crew of three Philippine nationals, were intercepted by Indian authorities while approaching
Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to ...
on the U.S.-registered yacht ''Nostromo'',
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assig ...
WDG9847. An investigation by
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
and Bureau of Investigative Journalism later revealed that on the same day,
Signalling System No. 7 Signalling System No. 7 (SS7) is a set of telephony signaling protocols developed in 1975, which is used to set up and tear down telephone calls in most parts of the world-wide public switched telephone network (PSTN). The protocol also perform ...
protocol was exploited in an attempt to locate Jaubert's phone. The Daily Beast's investigation revealed the FBI assisted the UAE to locate ''Nostromo''. On 9 March 2018, the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publis ...
'' broke the news of the disappearance of ''Nostromo'' and those aboard, after being contacted by Sheikha Latifa's representatives. She had made a 39-minute video before the escape attempt, to be released in case her life was in danger, and it was made public on 11 March 2018. Recorded at Jauhiainen's apartment, the video explains her family background and the circumstances leading to her decision to flee. In the video, she also accuses her father of maltreatment of her and her sister Shamsa along with other serious charges, including murder. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation confirmed the disappearance of Jauhiainen and opened an investigation in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The brother of Jauhiainen confirmed her friendship with Sheikha Latifa. On 20 March 2018, ''Nostromo'' was spotted at the port of
Fujairah Fujairah City ( ar, الفجيرة) is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Emirati capital city on the ...
in the UAE. It left the next day for
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
with the released crew, including Jaubert and three Philippine nationals, on board. ''Nostromo'' reached
Galle Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Souther ...
, Sri Lanka, on 2 April 2018. On 22 March 2018, Sheikha Latifa's companion Jauhiainen was found, prompting the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to terminate its search in cooperation with the Dubai authorities. The location where Jauhiainen was found and details of prior events were not shared officially, but according to her family she returned from Dubai to Finland that night. According to
Detained in Dubai Detained in Dubai is a London-based organisation founded in 2008 by Radha Stirling, which states its aim is to help foreigners abroad. Detained in Dubai was founded when Cat Le-Huy, a colleague of Stirling's from Endemol, was arrested in the UAE ...
, a number of people were detained or interrogated in connection to the event in UAE and Oman, notably Christian Elombo, a French national whose family is living in Luxembourg; Elombo spent more than a month in custody in Oman, from late February to 5 April 2018. After being released without charge, he was again taken into custody in Luxembourg on 6 April 2018 for 41 days under an Interpol Red Notice issued by the UAE. The notice was later retracted without notification or producing any evidence for the cited kidnapping charges.Festgenommener Franzose soll Prinzessin zur Flucht verholfen haben
Tageblatt ''Tageblatt'' is a German language Luxembourgish daily newspaper published in Esch-sur-Alzette by Editpress. History and profile ''Tageblatt'' was established in 1913. The paper is the country's second-most popular newspaper, behind the rival ...
, 12 April 2018 (in German)
Retraction of Red Notice by Interpol
Mutmaßlicher Prinzessinnen-Entführer wieder auf freiem Fuß
Tageblatt ''Tageblatt'' is a German language Luxembourgish daily newspaper published in Esch-sur-Alzette by Editpress. History and profile ''Tageblatt'' was established in 1913. The paper is the country's second-most popular newspaper, behind the rival ...
, 16 May 2018 (in German)


Interception of the yacht ''Nostromo''

According to the testimonies of the crew, the yacht was being actively searched for by
Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally estab ...
search and rescue aircraft SAR CG 782 on 3 March 2018. On the day of interception the yacht was scouted by another aircraft. Before the raid on 4 March 2018, three marine vessels were spotted on radar by ''Nostromo'''s crew, tailing it at a speed of less than 5 knots. Two of the vessels were later identified as ICGS ''Shoor'' and ICGS ''Samarth'', described in media statements by Jaubert: "The two coast guards vessels had a huge marking on the side of the hull, which read '
Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally estab ...
' and one had an ID number painted: 11". After sunset two unmarked speedboats carrying six to eight armed Indian
MARCOS Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Nélson Marcos, Portug ...
Special Forces personnel in full military gear and
Tavor The IWI Tavor TAR-21 is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO caliber with a selective fire system, selecting between semi-automatic mode and full automatic fire mode. The Tavor is designed and produced by Israel Weapo ...
assault rifles were launched from these ships to intercept ''Nostromo''. The raid began with the use of stun and smoke grenades to disorient and incapacitate the crew, who were then handcuffed. After being taken over by Indian Coast Guard, the yacht was boarded by at least ten Emirati special forces personnel, who arrived by helicopter. Sheikha Latifa, despite claiming asylum to Indian personnel and expressing a clear unwillingness to go back to the UAE from where she was fleeing, was forcefully taken away onto one of the ships. ''Nostromo'' and the rest of the crew were taken to the naval base in
Fujairah Fujairah City ( ar, الفجيرة) is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Emirati capital city on the ...
, escorted by the Indian Coast Guard and then transferred to UAE warship ''Baynunah''. According to
Radha Stirling Radha Stirling is a human rights advocate, and lawyer, specializing in legal issues in the Middle East. She is the founder of the United Kingdom-based organisations Detained in Dubai, Due Process International and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) Re ...
's account, she received her last voice message from Latifa during the alleged raid in a panicked state, telling her "Radha please help me, there are men outside" and that she had heard "gunshots". Further attempts of communication from those on-board ''Nostromo'' allegedly failed due to jamming from an Indian electronic warfare aircraft. In total, at least three Indian and two Emirati warships, two military planes, and a helicopter were involved in the raid on ''Nostromo'', about 50 miles off the coast of Goa.


Media reactions and aftermath

In the early days after the disappearance of the yacht ''Nostromo'' and its crew, the news was primarily carried on English and Finnish tabloids, backed up by awareness campaigns in social media. Jauhiainen and Jaubert made their first public appearance after the incident in a press conference arranged by Detained in Dubai in London despite facing alleged threats from the UAE government to stay silent. Following a period without mention in the Gulf media, the Western media reported in mid-April the first reaction from the UAE, originating from an anonymous source close to the Dubai government. According to that source, Sheikha Latifa had been "brought back", that she was now "with her family", and that she was "doing excellent". The source further claimed the incident had been a "private matter" that had been used to "tarnish the reputation of Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed," and said that three of those who had accompanied Sheikha Latifa were wanted in Dubai on previous charges. In May 2018,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human ri ...
questioned Dubai's story, and asked Dubai's authorities to reveal her location, adding: " ilure to disclose the whereabouts and status of the princess could qualify as an
enforced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organiza ...
". Dubai authorities said that they could not comment on her case due to legal reasons. The UN OHCHR Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance sought responses on allegations from the Governments of India and UAE. ''Ad-Diyaar'', a mainstream Arab newspaper, also published calls by Human Rights Watch raising the issue that Sheikha Latifa had been forcibly hidden. Support groups also raised awareness of the campaign at the 2018 Kentucky Derby by flying a banner saying "DUBAI, WHERE IS PRINCESS LATIFA?". The UAE-controlled media began reporting extensively about the social activities of her half-sister with the same name, who serves as Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (
Dubai Culture The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is an authority under Government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which works in preservation of the cultural heritage and support of cultural scene in Dubai. History Established in 2008 by M ...
). Many news outlets reported show jumper Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum as missing, due to similarity in names. The Indian government was widely criticised for its extrajudicial outreach, citing national interests and disregard of formal legal process. Indian media reported that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...
and his advisers were directly involved in giving the orders for interception at the request of Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. ...
and didn't seek any formal request from UAE. An Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson claimed that " such incident has been brought to our notice." Deputy Commandant Avinandan Mitra of the
Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally estab ...
, in response to media queries about this incident near the Indian coastline, said that "we have no such information or operation." Indian Intelligence agencies said they were trying to verify the claims but had no further comment. On 2 January 2019, Minister of State for External Affairs V. K. Singh denied any involvement of Indian Government in repatriation of emirati princess while replying to a question raised by
member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
Saugata Roy Prof. Saugata Roy (born 6 August 1946) is an Indian politician of Trinamool Congress and a member of parliament in the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament representing the Dum Dum constituency in the 16th Lok Sabha. He was the Union Minister ...
. Similarly, the Finnish government was criticised for not raising concerns about a human rights violation of one of their citizens to Indian authorities. A day later, the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Timo Soini Timo Juhani Soini (born 30 May 1962) is a Finnish politician who is the co-founder and former leader of the Finns Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Finland from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2019. He was el ...
, responded, saying Finland had been in correspondence with UAE and Indian officials about the issue outside of media.
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...
, on 4 September 2018, released a public statement appealing to the government of UAE to disclose the whereabouts of Sheikha Latifa and uphold its international legal obligations, while also calling upon the Indian government to investigate any role of its security forces and officials involved in the raid on ''Nostromo'' and unlawful excesses that may have been committed. On 6 December 2018, the release of the
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
documentary ''Escape from Dubai: The Mystery of the Missing Princess'' elicited the first official response on the matter from the Dubai royal court in the form of a brief statement saying that Latifa was safe at home. The documentary covered the escape attempt that Sheikha Latifa had spent seven years planning and also looking into a similar attempt by her sister Shamsa in 2000. In January 2019, Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. ...
's wife, Princess Haya al-Hussein of Jordan, half-sister of King
Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
, spoke in defense of Dubai's treatment of Sheikha Latifa. After news reports of Princess Haya's alleged separation with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, human rights campaigners called on Princess Haya to speak out on her stepdaughter Latifa's fate in Dubai. The matter was referred to the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions by Guernica 37, a London-based law firm representing Latifa and her two friends. Chairman-rapporteur, Bernard Duhaime of the UN's working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances wrote to Dubai's royal family requesting evidence that Latifa was alive and the grounds on which she was being held captive or else they would have to make a public statement. In February 2021, a UN investigation determined that the princess was exchanged for British arms dealer Christian Michel, who was extradited from Dubai to Delhi to be tried for paying bribes.


Visit from Mary Robinson

On 24 December 2018, three low-resolution photographs taken on 15 December 2018, showing Sheikha Latifa alongside
Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her elect ...
, the former
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nat ...
, were released by UAE authorities. According to Mary Robinson, the meeting was arranged by one of the wives of
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. ...
, Princess Haya. Robinson described Latifa in a BBC Radio 4 interview as a "troubled young woman" who regretted making the earlier video in which she alleged abuse, and was receiving psychiatric care. The comments were criticised by various rights groups and Detained in Dubai's head Radha Stirling for reciting Dubai's official version of the events "almost verbatim". Human rights groups and associates of Sheikha Latifa questioned the nature of the brief visit, calling for independent investigation and assessment of her situation and disputing suggestions of any psychiatric problems and reiterating the possibility of her being held under captivity. Robinson later told the BBC that she had been "horribly tricked". David Haigh and Marcus Essabri, Latifa's cousin, commenting on the released photos of Latifa, stated that Sheikha Latifa appears to be forcibly medicated while held in Dubai under orders of her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.


2019 court proceedings

In December 2019, a UK family court ruled that, on the balance of probabilities, Sheikh Mohammed orchestrated the abductions of Sheikha Latifa and Sheikha Shamsa and subjected Princess Haya to a campaign of "intimidation"; the findings were published in March 2020.


2021 documentary

Human Rights Lawyer and founder of Detained International David Haigh and Tiina Jauhiainen were able to covertly re-establish communication with Latifa in April 2019 while she was being held captive in a private villa in Dubai for at least a year after her attempted escape from her family in February 2018. They were able to obtain text and video messages from her during this period. After about a year and half the communication abruptly ended on 21 July 2020 when Latifa stopped responding to messages. In February 2021, the secret footage obtained David Haigh and Tiina Jauhiainen formed a BBC program ''
Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...
'' showed Sheikha Latifa recounting how she fought back against the soldiers taking her off the boat until she was tranquilized and later carried onto a private jet which landed in Dubai. The
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
human rights office asked the UAE to present a proof that Princess Latifa is alive. Nearly two months later, on 9April 2021, the organization said that while the Emirates stated that Sheikha Latifa was being cared for by her family, the country failed to provide a "proof of life" for her. On the same occasion, a spokesperson said that the Emirates had in principle agreed to a meeting about Sheikha Latifa between senior United Nations officials and the Emirati ambassador in Geneva. On 21April, independent United Nations advisers said in a statement that they were "alarmed" that the Emirates had not provided any concrete information, and that the statement by the Emirati authorities was not sufficient. The United States response to the statement, which said that freedom from arbitrary detention was a universal human right, was described in the ''New York Times'' as "muted".


2021 Kentucky Derby complaint

On 28 April 2021, days before the
Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
in which Sheikha Latifa's father Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had a horse named ''Essential Quality'' who was considered a favorite to win, a group of human rights lawyers and students at the
University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one o ...
filed a complaint with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, asking for the Sheikh and ''Essential Quality'' to be barred from the Derby on the grounds of Sheikha Latifa's alleged situation. The Racing Commission announced on 29 April that as the complaint had not articulated a violation of its regulations, no sanctions would be put in place.


2021 Mall of the Emirates photo appearance

On 22 May 2021, a photo that appears to show Princess Latifa alive has been posted online and shared on two public Instagram accounts. The photo appears to be in a Dubai shopping mall, the
Mall of the Emirates Mall of the Emirates ( ar, مول الإمارات) is a shopping mall in Dubai. Developed and owned by Majid Al Futtaim Group, it opened in November 2005 and is located at interchange four on Sheikh Zayed Road. The multi-level shopping mall c ...
, as she is seen sitting with two other women. Although the image has not been verified, a friend of Latifa's confirmed that it is the princess in the picture. According to sources, the women who posted the proof of life of Princess Latifa in the May 2021 pictures of her from a restaurant at a shopping mall were paid to do so. Some human rights activists also asked the UK government to help.


2021 Madrid–Barajas Airport appearance

The following month in June 2021, pictures of Latifa at
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas ) , commonly known as Madrid–Barajas Airport, is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain. At in area, it is the second-largest ai ...
were posted on Instagram by former Royal Navy member Sioned Taylor, who had also published photos showing Latifa in the Mall of the Emirates. She mentioned they were on a "Great European holiday with Latifa". David Haigh, co-founder of the Free Latifa campaign stated that they were "pleased to see Latifa seemingly having a passport, traveling and enjoying an increasing degree of freedom", and confirmed that several campaign members had been contacted directly by the princess herself.


2021 UAE Pegasus surveillance leaks

In July 2021, leaked data from surveillance firm
NSO Group NSO Group Technologies (NSO standing for Niv, Shalev and Omri, the names of the company's founders) is an Israeli cyber-intelligence firm primarily known for its proprietary spyware Pegasus, which is capable of remote zero-click surveillance o ...
Pegasus spyware Pegasus is spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group that can be covertly installed on mobile phones (and other devices) running most versions of iOS and Android. Pegasus is able to exploit iOS versions up to 14.7, throug ...
revealed the presence of Latifa's among UAE-targeted phone numbers, as well as several of her close friends, as being possible targets. Pegasus spyware allows full access, including GPS, to target phones, and may have helped to track Latifa's escape route. A mobile device belonging to the British Human Rights Lawyer representing the Princess, David Haigh who was in covert communication with Latifa was also found to be compromised with Pegasus. Haigh had been covertly exchanging videos and text messages with Latifa for about a year and a half while she was being held in captivity after her forced returned to Dubai in February 2018.


2021 end of #FreeLatifa campaign

In August 2021 and after Latifa had been photographed in public places in Dubai, Spain and Iceland, the #FreeLatifa campaign, which had lasted three and a half years, came to an end. Human rights lawyer David Haigh, Latifa's cousin Marcus Essabri and Sioned Taylor, observing her wellbeing, described her situation as "the best position she has been in, in terms of freedom for two decades". The FreeLatifa campaign stated:
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. The primary purpose of the Free Latifa 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.
David Haigh, co-founder of the Free Latifa campaign encouraged caution, saying: "It's quite right and understandable that everyone needs to look at everything that's happening now with extreme caution and monitor the situation closely."


Controversy

In May 2018, Helene Jaubert, ex-wife of former
French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in th ...
officer
Hervé Jaubert Hervé Jaubert (born 13 March 1956) is a former French Navy officer, marine engineer and DGSE secret agent. He moved to Stuart, Florida in the early 2000s where he set up a company to build and operate recreational submarines. He then moved his ...
told ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 2 ...
'' that Jaubert and Radha Stirling had been in contact with Latifa for five years, and invented the scheme together: "The whole plan was for Hervé to help her escape and once he got her out the daughter was going to get to the dad and say 'I want $3 million or else I'll tell all to the media'. It was a con. It's a corrupt scheme gone haywire". According to Stirling, Latifa phoned her from the boat in the middle of the ambush, saying she feared for her life and "was hearing gunshots". Latifa made the call via
WhatsApp WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows u ...
and evidence of the call was provided to authorities in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
and made available to reporters. ''The Daily Beast'' pointed out that a
satellite phone A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio through orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do. The advantage of a sa ...
is normally needed to call from their alleged location in the Indian Ocean. However, it was established that the ''Nostromo'' was outfitted with satellite phone. In August 2019, Tiina Jauhiainen gave her version of events to online magazine ''
Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German pub ...
''.


FBI role in capture

According to ''USA Today'', the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
(FBI), "responding to an urgent plea from the powerful Dubai leader's office, provided assistance essential to atifa'scapture." The article went on to say "''USA TODAY''s sources said they believe the FBI was misled about her circumstances aboard the yacht". The FBI declined to comment.


See also

* List of solved missing person cases *
Radha Stirling Radha Stirling is a human rights advocate, and lawyer, specializing in legal issues in the Middle East. She is the founder of the United Kingdom-based organisations Detained in Dubai, Due Process International and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) Re ...
*
Hervé Jaubert Hervé Jaubert (born 13 March 1956) is a former French Navy officer, marine engineer and DGSE secret agent. He moved to Stuart, Florida in the early 2000s where he set up a company to build and operate recreational submarines. He then moved his ...
* David Haigh


Ancestry


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum 1985 births 2010s missing person cases Emirati people of Algerian descent Emirati princesses Emirati Sunni Muslims Formerly missing people Living people Hostages India–United Arab Emirates relations Maktoum family Missing person cases in Asia Women from Dubai Human rights abuses in the United Arab Emirates