News – Page 2 – FairSquare

Urgent call for action on migrant worker deaths in the Gulf

New report reveals poor data, high-rate of unexplained deaths and a series of cumulative risks to health.

A coalition of organisations, including NGOs from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines, today issued a report on the deaths of low-paid migrant workers in the Gulf states, and called on their governments and those in the Gulf to urgently take steps to reduce the number of unnecessary migrant worker fatalities.

The Abdullah Ibhais Case: Four Key Pieces Of Evidence

FairSquare, working with Human Rights Watch, has been documenting the case of Abdullah Ibhais since late 2021. His lawyer filed an appeal with Qatar’s final court of appeal, the Court of Cassation, on 13 February 2022. In this piece FairSquare Director Nick McGeehan provides analysis of the key pieces of evidence in the case.

Why trafficking in the Gulf persists

In a new article for the Global Index on Organised Crime, FairSquare director James Lynch takes a look at why labour trafficking remains rife in the Gulf states, which are signed up to and publicly supportive of the key international anti-trafficking agreements:

FIFA/Qatar: Last Chance to Ensure Fair Trial for Whistleblower

Qatari Justice System Under Further Scrutiny After Flawed Appeal Court Judgment

Qatari authorities and FIFA should insist that a whistleblower at the heart of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organization gets a fair trial as the case heads to Qatar’s final court of appeal, Human Rights Watch and FairSquare said today.

Call on Cambridge University not to whitewash UAE government’s reputation

FairSquare and Human Rights Watch have written to Cambridge University about a proposed strategic partnership with the UAE, which the organisations said “would serve to whitewash the reputation of a government that systematically imprisons critics and denies fundamental civil and political rights.”

FIFA: Ensure Fair Trial of World Cup Whistleblower

FIFA should publicly call on the Qatari authorities to ensure a fair trial for the detained former employee of Qatar’s World Cup organizers, Human Rights Watch and FairSquare said in a letter to FIFA on November 19, 2021.

FairSquare Director on Newcastle United, Saudi Arabia and “sportswashing”

FairSquare director Nick McGeehan has used an article in openDemocracy to explore the implications of “sportswashing” for football and democracy, in the wake of the Premier League’s decision to agree to the takeover of Newcastle United FC by a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Qatar: Ensure Fair Trial of Ex-Qatar 2022 Official

Qatari authorities should ensure a fair trial for a 35-year-old Jordanian…

Qatari authorities should ensure a fair trial for a 35-year-old Jordanian man who is appealing a five-year prison sentence for offenses including misuse of funds and bribery, Human Rights Watch and FairSquare said today. The lower court trial of Abdullah Ibhais, which concluded in April 2021, ignored credible allegations that his confession, the basis of the prosecution’s case, was obtained via intimidation and coercion. A third and possibly final session in his appeal hearing is scheduled for October 6.

New report on deaths of migrant workers in Qatar

Amnesty report on deaths of migrant workers in Qatar

A new report published today by Amnesty International, with the support of FairSquare, finds that Qatari authorities have failed to investigate the deaths of thousands of migrant workers over the past decade, despite evidence of links between premature deaths and unsafe working conditions.

Kenyan labour rights activist leaves Qatar after paying hefty fine for publishing “false news”

Malcolm Bidali, a Kenyan national, who was forcibly disappeared by Qatari authorities on 4 May and held in solitary confinement for a month, has finally been allowed to leave the country after paying a hefty fine for his human rights activism. The 28-year-old is a security guard, blogger and activist, who has been vocal about the plight of migrant workers like himself, and has written for a number of online platforms.