RIYADH: The case against detained Qatari royal Sheikh Talal Al-Thani has been fabricated by the authorities in Doha, a fellow royal family member said Sunday.
The wife of Sheikh Talal said last week her husband is being tortured in custody and that his condition is deteriorating.
Sheikh Talal is the grandson of the late Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Thani, the former emir of Qatar, who was deposed in 1972 by his cousin Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad, the grandfather of the current emir. He was jailed in 2013.
Speaking during a telephone interview with Al Arabiya, Sheikh Saud bin Jassim said the Qatari authorities fabricate charges “against anyone who opposes them.”
He said there were “great concerns” over Sheikh Talal’s health.
Sheikh Talal’s wife, Asma Arian, posted a video on her Twitter account on Wednesday raising concerns over her husband’s health.
“Sheikh Talal has been imprisoned in extremely harsh conditions and in violation of his fundamental human rights,” she said.
“The mistreatment to which he has been subjected has put his life in serious danger. It has also forcibly separated his younger children and myself.”
She also said the Qatari authorities prevented his family from communicating with him.
She said he has not been properly charged, although he has been detained for seven years, and he has not been given the option of a “fair” trial.
Case against deposed Qatari emir’s grandson Sheikh Talal Al-Thani ‘fabricated’
https://arab.news/werzh
Case against deposed Qatari emir’s grandson Sheikh Talal Al-Thani ‘fabricated’
- The wife of Sheikh Talal said last week her husband is being tortured in custody and that his condition is deteriorating
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
