Qatar is the home of Al Jazeera, a global news network. Having this network in this moderate Gulf nation has been considered a sign of tolerance and press freedom for many. Now in the same country journalists from Germanyโs biggest television networks ARD working for WDR based in Cologne were detained, questioned, and not allowed to leave the country for days while working on a story about FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Dohaโs vexed nomination for the 2022 football World Cup.
A reporter from ARD German TV, Florian Bauer, tweeted that all of his, as well as colleaguesโ, materials for ARD and WDR networks have been erased and equipment destroyed.
He and his colleagues were interrogated by the police as well as secret service, Bauer claimed, and were forced to stay in the country for days.
Both Qatar and FIFA have faced heavy criticism from human rights activists since the Gulf state was selected to host 2022 World Cup. Last year AFP reported that at least 237 Indian migrants lost their lives in Qatar in 2012 and another 218 in 2013.
Some 400 Nepalese workers are believed to have died at building sites since construction for the World Cup 2022 got underway in 2010, according to the Guardian.
These issues have raised serious eyebrows, with many rights campaigners speaking out against FIFAโs choice of Qatar as a host country.
Activists have denounced the labor conditions in Qatar, labeling them a form of slavery.
Qatar currently employs the Kafala system to oversee its domestic migrant workforce. This requires that foreign workers be sponsored by an employer whoโs responsible for their visa and legal status.
There have been several reports that the system is being manipulated by employers, who are denying migrantsโ wages and refusing to grant them an exit visa.
On top of the labor criticism, Qatar has been accused of paying $5 million in bribes to win the World Cup bid.
Senior football officials in Africa reportedly received the funds in return for making sure Qatar won the hosting position.