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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Qatari royal says he is 'being held against his will' in UAE | Qatari royal says he is 'being held against his will' in UAE |
| (2 days later) | |
| A Qatari royal says he is being held against his will in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). | A Qatari royal says he is being held against his will in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). |
| Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali al-Thani - who played a role in negotiating with Saudi Arabia during the Qatar diplomatic crisis last year - made the claims in a YouTube video released on Sunday. | Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali al-Thani - who played a role in negotiating with Saudi Arabia during the Qatar diplomatic crisis last year - made the claims in a YouTube video released on Sunday. |
| He claims he is being held by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince, who will be "fully responsible" if anything happens to him. | He claims he is being held by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince, who will be "fully responsible" if anything happens to him. |
| A UAE official denied the accusations. | A UAE official denied the accusations. |
| In the video statement, the Qatari sheikh, a relative of the current Qatari emir, is seated in an armchair, talking directly to camera. | In the video statement, the Qatari sheikh, a relative of the current Qatari emir, is seated in an armchair, talking directly to camera. |
| "I'm currently in Abu Dhabi, being hosted by Sheikh Mohamed. But this is not a hosting status. Rather, it is a 'holding' one. They told me not to move," he says. | "I'm currently in Abu Dhabi, being hosted by Sheikh Mohamed. But this is not a hosting status. Rather, it is a 'holding' one. They told me not to move," he says. |
| He continues: "I'd like to inform you that if something happens to me, Qatar will be innocent of it." | He continues: "I'd like to inform you that if something happens to me, Qatar will be innocent of it." |
| Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi, who heads Abu Dhabi's education department and a counter-extremism centre, sent a series of tweets saying Sheikh Abdullah is free to go "whenever he wants". | Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi, who heads Abu Dhabi's education department and a counter-extremism centre, sent a series of tweets saying Sheikh Abdullah is free to go "whenever he wants". |
| Sheikh Abdullah brokered a deal with Saudi Arabia to allow Qatari pilgrims into the country after Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017. | Sheikh Abdullah brokered a deal with Saudi Arabia to allow Qatari pilgrims into the country after Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017. |
| The video was published on a YouTube channel run by UAE 71 website. | |
| An unexpected turn | An unexpected turn |
| By Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor | By Sebastian Usher, BBC Arab Affairs Editor |
| This is a complete turnaround from last year when Sheikh Abdullah appeared out of nowhere as a significant player in the political feud pitting the Saudis and Emiratis against Qatar. | This is a complete turnaround from last year when Sheikh Abdullah appeared out of nowhere as a significant player in the political feud pitting the Saudis and Emiratis against Qatar. |
| He won a diplomatic coup in apparently brokering a deal with Saudi Arabia to reopen its land border with Qatar so that its citizens could attend the Hajj. | He won a diplomatic coup in apparently brokering a deal with Saudi Arabia to reopen its land border with Qatar so that its citizens could attend the Hajj. |
| A descendant of the founding father of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah's branch of the royal family had been sidelined for decades. But suddenly he was everywhere, with legions of followers on Twitter. | A descendant of the founding father of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah's branch of the royal family had been sidelined for decades. But suddenly he was everywhere, with legions of followers on Twitter. |
| The consensus was that he was very much acting with the approval of the UAE and Saudi Arabia - with even some speculation that they might be considering him as a replacement leader in Qatar. | The consensus was that he was very much acting with the approval of the UAE and Saudi Arabia - with even some speculation that they might be considering him as a replacement leader in Qatar. |