Women To Sue Qatar Officials For Invasive Gynaecological Searches At Airport

Picture courtesy Travel Weekly

Doha: A group of women will sue Qatar authorities for being subjected to invasive gynaecological searches at Doha airport, AFP reported on Monday.

Women who travelled on 10 Qatar Airways flights from Doha, including 13 Australians, were subjected to the examinations late last year as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn who was found in a bathroom of the airport.

Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the incident had sparked global condemnation and outrage over the Gulf state’s treatment of women.

Seven of those female passengers are planning legal action to send a message to Qatari authorities “that you can’t treat women in this manner,” Sydney-based lawyer Damian Sturzaker was quoted as saying by AFP.

“The group of women have suffered enormous distress on the evening concerned, now just over a year ago, and they continue to suffer distress and ill effects and trauma as a result of what occurred,” he stated.

The women will be seeking a formal apology, compensation as well as protection for passengers transiting through the airport in future.

The lawyer informed that the lawsuit will be filed in Australia against the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and the country’s government.