London Court ruled Sheikh Hamad, Qatar's former prime minister and the country's billionaire will not be sued over torture allegations by a former emirate official spokesman as it holds diplomatic immunity. The British court says the case has no jurisdiction on hearing the case.
According to the Guardian, Fawaz al-Attiya, 47 years old the British citizen and a former spokesman for the emirate claimed he was tortured and wrongly imprisoned by the former prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani. He accused the Qatari billionaire ordered to detain him for 15 months on a solitary confinement where he also claimed he was threatened and psychologically abused. Attiya also accused Sheikh Hamad for confiscating his property.
The accuser, who was born in London and currently residing in Newmarket, is seeking compensation for the damages, including the loss of his ancestral property, and will enter an appeal since his case was dismissed.
Sheikh Hamad and the state of Qatar had denied the allegations brought up by Attiya, FT reported. The billionaire Qatari said, he is protected by diplomatic immunity and that the British courts has no jurisdiction to hear the said case. Justice Blake ruled the court on Monday, favoring the former Qatar official.
Sheikh Hamad is a well known business and political figure in the Middle East. In June 2013 HBJ stepped down from the posts of prime minister, foreign minister and head of the Qatar Investment Authority after his ally, the Qatari emir, abdicated in favour of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Six months later, Sheikh Hamad was added to the Foreign Office diplomatic list. He was eventually given the rank of "minister-counsellor". The listing as a diplomat means he and his two wives and 15 children enjoy legal immunity in Britain under the Vienna convention.
In response Attiya said he would appeal the judgement. He pointed out that earlier this month the high court had refused a diplomatic immunity claim by Saudi billionaire in divorce proceedings.
