Dubai: The wife of a British-Nepalese human rights activist who is being detained in Qatar while investigating the treatment of the country’s migrant workforce has called for the immediate release of her husband.
Krishna Upadhyaya, 52, from London, travelled to Doha with colleague Ghimire Gundev, 36, on August 27 to film a documentary on the treatment and working conditions of Nepalese labourers in Qatar as they prepare to host the 2022 World Cup.
The pair were due to return to the UK four days later but after noticing that they were being monitored by Qatari authorities for their work, Upadhyaya messaged a friend saying: “I am being followed by the police here. Looks like they will give me trouble now.”
Upadhyaya’s wife, Sarita Poudyal, speaking to Gulf News, said she has not had contact with her husband since August 31 when he was due to fly home.
“Everything was OK then. He was at the hotel and he said he was leaving for the airport soon,” she said.
“He mentioned something about being watched by police but he didn’t sound too concerned so I thought nothing of it.
“He didn’t come home the next day so I sent him messages and tried to call him but there was no response.
“I called his colleague in Norway to ask if he knew where he was but he said he didn’t know. That’s when I started panicking.”
Upadhyaya, a passionate human rights enthusiast, is an employee at the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD) and both his employers and family contacted the British embassy in Doha who were unable to provide any information on the missing men. The airline they were due to fly with confirmed they did not board the plane.
Upadhyaya’s wife then contacted her local MP and the Foreign Minister, Philip Hammond, who has begun dialogue with Doha on the case.
Poudyal said she is still in the dark a week later and has demanded a speedy resolution.
“My husband did nothing wrong, so I ask the Qatari government to please release him and send him home.”
