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FORMER PRESIDENT OF Ireland Mary Robinson has said she made a “mistake” and was “naive” in relation to the case of Dubai princess Sheikha Latifa.
Speaking to RTÉ One’s Late Late Show, Robinson said: “I made a mistake. I let my heart lead my head. I went to help a friend. I was naive. I should have been more alert.”
Robinson, the former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said earlier this month that she was “horribly tricked” over a photo taken of her with Princess Latifa, the daughter of the Dubai ruler – who has said she is being held hostage by her father.
In February 2018, Princess Latifa Al Maktoum reportedly tried to flee Dubai, but her friends said that commandos stormed a boat carrying her off the coast of India.
She was then brought back to the Emirates by Dubai’s ruler, the UAE’s prime minister and vice president Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Amid increasing international concern for the woman’s welfare, in December 2018 Mary Robinson attended a family lunch on invitation from Dubai’s royal family, and was photographed with the princess.
Afterwards, Robinson called Latifa a “troubled young woman”, which drew criticism from human rights organisations.
In footage shared with and published by BBC Panorama on 16 February, Princess Latifa Al Maktoum appeared in a video where she said that she is a hostage in a “villa converted into a jail” guarded by police, and fears for her safety.
“Everyday I worry about my safety and my life. I don’t really know if I’m going to survive this situation.
“I don’t want to be a hostage in this jail-villa – I just want to be free. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with me. I really don’t know. So the situation is getting more desperate every day.”
Robinson told the BBC that although she was aware the 2018 photographs of her with the princess were being taken, she thought it was for a “private photograph” to prove that the princess was alive.
“I was particularly tricked when the photographs went public. Horribly tricked. I mean that was a total surprise. I was absolutely stunned.”
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson admits she was "horribly tricked" in photographs showing her and missing Dubai Princess Latifa Al Maktoum#MissingPrincess https://t.co/5GoxHADflq pic.twitter.com/fDu1gnXaTv
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 16, 2021
Speaking to the Late Late Show, Robinson confirmed she has been in touch with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in relation to the princess.
“I’ve been in touch with Simon Coveney, and he has said we are on the [UN] Security Council now, but even before that contact had been made with our ambassador in Geneva to support the High Commissioner,” Robinson said, adding that the princess “needs political support”.
The former president said that she “100% believes Latifa now” and that the princess should be freed.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told TheJournal.ie earlier this month that the government will “engage with” Robinson over the case.
Concern
Dubai’s royal family on 19 February insisted that Sheikha Latifa was being “cared for at home” after the United Nations demanded proof that she was still alive following the airing of the video.
In a statement issued by the UAE’s embassy in London, the Dubai royal family said: “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.
“Sheikha Latifa continues to improve and we are hopeful she will return to public life at the appropriate time.”
The embassy did not provide any accompanying footage or images.
Friends of the princess say they are concerned for her safety because she has not been heard from since she stopped responding to text messages six months ago.
In December, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances reported that it had decided to examine the case of Sheikha Latifa, “who is reportedly being held in incommunicado detention at her family home in Dubai”.
With reporting by Christina Finn.
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IF ever there was a moment for enda kenny to answer the bloody quewstions he was asked (i.e. not committing an affront to our democratic processes) it was today. His performance today at leaders questions in relation to the whistleblowers was, to borrow a relevant term, ‘disgusting’.
It’s pretty obvious at this stage Kenny is kicking a lot of cans down the road courtesy of his Co conspirators Fianna Fail.
@FC, if Adams ever answered the question relating to the murders he was involved in,ill buy you a pint.
@The spokesman: what is that got to do with the taoiseach of this country irrelevant of what party he is from showing what he showed today in the dail as nothing more than pathetic. If nothing else rolling his eyes to heaven is disgraceful with what has emerged.
@ FC…. And you’re point is what exactly ??. The post is about kenny and his inability / refusal to answer a question without waffling on & on in hope that his cohorts will make enough of a distraction to take the heat off him.
@The spokesman: Now that the FF, FG, LP and Independents are in Coalition why of course it is all SF’s fault, the fe##ers have been in power for far too long. There is no one else to blame.
Keep the status quo, save the party at all costs. Don’t let the fe##ers find out what we have been up to. Say nothing. Answer inconvenient questions with convenient white lies.
@The spokesman: i must have missed the reference to adams in the article. can you point it out to me.
Rolling his eyes up to heaven when the taoiseach is being asked questions on the Garda whistleblowers and the stories that have emerged is not really the way a Taoiseach should behave in light of what has come out.
@LITTLEONE: f/g stroke kenny stoke o’sullivan no credibility ,,, not rocket science ,,
I see they’ve given themselves another week off. Probably so they can spend the raise they gave themselves
The mushroom sector? I suppose they’d been kept in the dark and didn’t know what to expect.
@Damocles: It’s a shame, I knew the owner of the place. He was a fungi. **gets coat**
Yes, but how likely is it that he will answer any of the questions?
Kenny will do nothing. To do anything would upset the status quo. If he upsets Norinn, what will Denis do for a security force.
“Enda Kenny grilled…….”
Carlsberg don’t do headlines but if they did
Any questions put to him about the cases concerning Mary Boyle and Philip Cairns? I doubt the Journal will be informing us if such a question was posed.
Discussi g rural post offices?? I bet the Healy-Rae’s has one of them too
@Daithi De Roiste: It’s a shame to think that Kenny talks about supports for companies affected by the fall in value of sterling, yet he is not prepared to support our post offices which turn a good profit for this country.
Jesus, Mary Lou must love the sound of her own voice.
@Old Gordon: excellent contribution gordon, you must be very pleased with it
The UK is now having to face up to some of the realities of what they voted for and try to get as good a deal as possible from the EU. What they seem to forget is that they will need a lot of goodwill from the other EU member states if they are to succeed, but measures like this are too reminiscent of how the Nazis started discriminating against Jews and other “undesirables”. What next? Perhaps a blanket ban on certain groups being employed in whole sectors?
With a whole spate of national elections coming soon in the EU, not being seen to be too nice to the Brits or bending over backwards to accommodate their often apparently unreasonable demands, it will become de rigeur for European politicians to tell the Brits to take, at best, a Norway-style arrangement or else shag off with themselves.
@David Quim: You have it wrong there my friend, it won’t be a Norway or Swiss deal. It will be a UK deal, just you wait and see. The Germans are worried about the possible loss of their car exports to the UK. While the French buy a lot of Britains argi, especially UK lamb at the moment because it is cheaper.
How bout the truth about Mary Boyle and Philip Cairns …
have your say