Several Twitter users have launched the hashtag #Qatar upon the arrest of a BBC crew in Doha. They were preparing to meet with low-paid migrant workers constructing new buildings in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Politics Professor Timothy E Kaldas wrote, “Hey #Qatar, pro tip: If u don't want serious journalists investigating the conditions of workers in ur country, don't invite them to do so.” Others wondered how Qatar would host the World Cup when journalists are being intimidated.
In a report on BBC Monday, Mark Lobel, the Middle East Business Correspondent based in Dubai, said, “We were invited to Qatar by the prime minister's office to see new flagship accommodation for low-paid migrant workers in early May – but while gathering additional material for our report, we ended up being thrown into prison for doing our jobs.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
