TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two human rights activist from the United Kingdom (UK), Krishna Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev, have been missing since Sunday, August 31, 2014, in Qatar. Krishna, a human rights researcher, and Gundev, a photographer, were known to be working for a Norwegian Human Rights organization, the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD).
Al-Jazeera reported today that both men were in Qatar to investigate the conditions on Nepali immigrants in the oil-rich Gulf state. Prior to their disappearance, Upadhyaya made a phone call to a friend in Norway, saying that he and Gundev had been harassed and stalked by a group of men in police uniforms.
Amidst increasing concern for the safety of their staff, GNRD managers has accused Qatar’s intelligence agency of having ordered the kidnapping of their staff.
Amnesty International has called on Qatar to find the missing British citizens and guarantee their safety. Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Doha has said in an official report that two British citizens have been arrested by Qatari authorities and ongoing investigation is underway.
Frequent threats to human rights activists has put Qatar under intense global scrutiny. As a result, since the start of the year, Qatar has attempted to beef up its domestic security and increased the wages of immigrant workers and human rights activists in the country.
AL JAZEERA | VIQIANSAH DENNIS
