Prisoner

Latifa's plight came to light after Detained in Dubai - which works on behalf of people caught up in the UAE's legal system - released a 40-minute video in which Latifa describes how she and her sister were held virtual prisoners by the family.

The video was supposed to be made public if her escape attempt failed.

"I'm making this video because it could be the last video I make," Latifa said in a haunting vlog.

"If you are watching the video, it's not such a good thing - either I'm dead or I'm in a very, very, very bad situation."

She explains that she was previously jailed after trying to free her sister, Shamsa, who has allegedly been held captive for 16 years - at the request of their father - when she tried to run away to London. 

After Shamsa's detention in 2002, Latifa wanted to free her older sister, she said.

Latifa, then 16, attempted to escape the UAE but was caught at the border, which led to her being imprisoned and tortured on her father's orders, she claimed.

"I think the first time was torturing me, I didn't feel any pain because I was in so much shock," she said, claiming her torturers were ordered to beat her to death. 

Despite surviving the torture, she suffered mental health problems, she said.

The plan for Latifa's escape attempt in March was to sail to Goa, then travel to Mumbai ahead of a flight to the United States, where she intended to claim political asylum.

Share This Post