The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) has finally published its opinion on the case of Abdullah Ibhais, the prisoner of Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. The opinion published on the 15th of July 2024; determined that the detention of Abdullah Ibhais IS ARBITRARY. The opinion comes after the case was referred to the Working Group on the 7 th of December 2022, and was adopted in the UNWGAD 99th session on the 20th of March 2024.

The UNWGAD found that the detention of Abdullah Ibhais falls under three categories of arbitrary detention:

Category I: Detention lacking any legal basis.

Category II: Detention resulting from the exercise of peaceful expression of opinion.

Category III: non-observance of the international norms relating to the right to a fair trial...

First: upon the Qatari Authorities to adhere to the four requests made by the UNWGAD. We further hold the Qatari Authorities responsible for his life and health especially that no checkup or test results about his health were given to us since his arrest, although he underwent a 30-days hunger strike in 2021.

Second: This opinion proves without hesitation how far FIFA is from its promises to protect whistleblowers and maintain human rights in the World Cup. We hold FIFA and its Executive persons responsible for the arbitrary detention of Abdullah in Qatar in which they were complicit, and decided not to intervene although the case was brought to their direct personal attention before Abdullah’s detention.

Third: We call upon the FIFA sponsors, especially Adidas to intervene in this case and put real pressure on FIFA to achieve justice for Abdullah and his wife and two young kids; especially that this case was brought to their attention as well since its early stages.

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