Südwind invites you to a background discussion with Malcolm Bidali on human rights violations in Qatar
Victim of Qatari state violence visits Vienna – Appointments possible from October 3 to 6
As part of the initiative “Our Game for Human Rights”, the Austrian human rights organization Südwind cordially invites you to a background discussion with Malcolm Bidali in Vienna. As a migrant worker in Qatar, Mr. Bidali spoke out about the devastating human rights situation and was held incommunicado for more than three weeks. In Vienna, Malcolm Bidali will provide insights into the situation on the ground and describe his personal experiences.
Interested media representatives are cordially invited to a direct exchange with Malcolm Bidali from October 3 to 6, 2022. Please register by email to: philipp.sacher@suedwind.at
Profile Malcolm Bidali:
30-year-old Kenyan citizen Malcolm Bidali worked as a security guard in Qatar in 2021. When he anonymously reported human rights violations against migrant workers on Twitter, he became the victim of a phishing attack that led to his arrest on 4 May 2021. On May 12, the Qatari authorities confirmed that Bidali was in custody but refused to disclose his whereabouts. The authorities have not pressed charges for a long time and refuse access to a lawyer. Under international law, solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days is considered a form of torture. Bidali was held incommunicado for more than three weeks.
It was only on July 14 that the Supreme Judicial Council of Qatar issued a penal order stating that Malcolm Bidali had spread and published “false news with the intention of endangering the public system of the state”. The charge is a direct violation of the right to freedom of expression. After paying a fine of 5,800 euros, Bidali was released and allowed to leave the country.
“I can count myself lucky that I got off (relatively) scot-free in the face of the accusations made against me. Outrageous accusations and an even more outrageous fine because I simply passed on our experiences and pointed out the shortcomings in the bodies responsible for employee welfare. This has nothing to do with ‘misinformation’. What I have learned from this is that a) freedom of expression is expensive and b) freedom of expression is incredibly effective,” says Bidali.
Further information:
Malcolm’s Twitter Account (Noah was his Twitter Pseudonym):
https://twitter.com/noaharticulates?lang=de
Testimonials from Malcolm:
https://www.migrant-rights.org/author/noah/
Oslo Freedom Forum – Sportwashing: From the Bejing Genocide Games to Qatar’s FIFA World Cup Migrant Worker’s Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhhN22V9oeA
Query note:
Philipp Sacher
Fundraising & Digital Communication philipp.sacher@suedwind.at
Phone: 0699 18 13 36 30