Categories: World

Australian women suing Qatar authorities for being strip-searched at Doha airport

<p>
A group of Australian women who were strip-searched and physically examined at Doha airport are filing a lawsuit against the authorities in Qatar.</p>
<p>
The women were forced to get off the plane by armed guards and checked for whether they had given birth to a child after a baby was found in a bin at the airport in October 2020, The incident that had sparked an international outrage.</p>
<p>
The women are seeking damages and allege assault, battery, trespass and false imprisonment by the Qatari government, Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority and Qatar Airways, according to a BBC report.</p>
<p>
Damian Sturzaker, a lawyer for seven of the women, told the BBC they had been "met with a wall of silence" despite trying to engage with the Qatari authorities.</p>
<p>
They want a formal apology from Qatar and the airport to change its procedures to make sure the incident does not happen again, Mr Sturzaker said.</p>
<p>
Qatar later apologised and one airport official was handed a suspended jail sentence. But the women say their cases have since been ignored.</p>
<p>
The examinations lasted about five minutes before they were escorted back to their flight. Several women reported the incident to police after landing in Australia.</p>
<p>
The ugly incident has surfaced to haunt Qatar at a time when it is drawing up plans to host the 2022 football World Cup with a view to making its mark at the world stage. </p>

IN Bureau

Recent Posts

Foreign Secy to brief parliamentary panel on India’s ties with Canada, China

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is likely to tomorrow brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External…

9 hours ago

PoGB Lawyer condemns land reform bill, calling it “against natural justice”

Renowned lawyer Ashfaq Ahmed Advocate has condemned the proposed Gilgit-Baltistan Land Reform Act 2024 and…

9 hours ago

J-K: Encounter breaks out between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora

An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Ketsun forest area of…

10 hours ago

LG Ladakh inaugurates 4th LG Horse Polo Cup, Ladakh’s first Polo Stadium in Dras

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra inaugurated the 4th LG Horse Polo Cup…

11 hours ago

Last set of disengagement between India, China concluded on October 21, says EAM Jaishankar

India and China concluded the last lot of disengagement on October 21 and the implementation…

13 hours ago

Pakistan: Baloch activist expresses outrage over Mastung bomb blast

Baloch "pro-independence" leader Allah Nazar Baloch has expressed outrage over the recent bomb blast near…

13 hours ago