The international defense group Human Rights Watch has initiated formal requests for information on the whereabouts of Sheikha Latifa, a member of the UAE royal family, who some say was kidnapped in international waters by the Emirates and Indian special forces. . Princess Latifa, 32, is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of the Emirate of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. But she has disagreed with the royal family and has repeatedly launched public calls for democratic reforms and more rights for women. In 2002, when she was just 18, she attempted to leave the United Arab Emirates but was forcibly repatriated by her father's bodyguards. In recent years, Princess Latifa has continued her firm opposition to her father's rule, which she accused of deploying "death squads" to suppress dissent within the UAE royal family.
It is believed that the 24 February Princess Latifa was reached by Tiina Jauhiainen, a Finnish martial arts instructor who lived and worked in the Middle East, with the aim of implementing an escape plan. The two women went to nearby Oman and used the watercraft to head for international waters. There they embarked on a yacht headed by Hervé Jaubert, a former French secret service officer who also has US citizenship. Jaubert became internationally known in the 2009 for escaping from the UAE without a passport, after authorities accused him of spending money entrusted to him by investors. Jaubert's yacht, The Nostromo, sailed from the Arabian Gulf to India with the two women and three crew members. The February 26, Princess Latifa has posted several posts on social media, including a video in English, which explains why she left her home country. But shortly thereafter, The Nostromo disappeared as he sailed to the coastal Indian state of Goa. He did not reappear again until March 20, when he sailed for Sri Lanka with his captain and crew, but without the two women on board.
Jaubert has since told reporters that his ship was intercepted in international waters by "two unmarked speedboats" carrying six to eight commandos. They used stun guns and smoke grenades to neutralize the yacht's crew, who handcuffed and blindfolded him. The soldiers then took the two women. They specifically spoke to Princess Latifa in English, prompting Jaubert to conclude that they were Indians, not Arabs. Some reports later claimed that a minimum of five Indian and Emirati warships, as well as two military planes and a helicopter, participated in The Nostromo's attack. Jauhiainen, who was finally released and returned to Europe, confirmed Jaubert's account.
But Indian authorities have denied these allegations, claiming they have no knowledge of a military or paramilitary operation off the coast of Goa. Human Rights Watch recently launched a formal appeal to the Indian and Emirati governments to reveal the precise location of Princess Latifa, who was not seen during the raid. “Failure to disclose the princess's whereabouts and whereabouts could be considered a forced disappearance, given evidence indicating she was last seen as being held by UAE authorities, who did not respond to media requests for a comment.
