Hallmarks of a great movie

Tales of international intrigue after Dubai princess’ failed escape

Paris: A detained Emirate princess, a yacht seized by Indian soldiers in international waters, a Frenchman being held in Luxembourg – accounts from key players in the attempted escape by a daughter of the ruler of Dubai have all the hallmarks of a geopolitical thriller.

Rights activists are increasingly worried about the fate of 32-yearold Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who has not been seen publicly since being captured at sea in March while trying to flee the United Arab Emirates.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the Dubai authorities to reveal the whereabouts of the princess, saying her case could constitute “enforced disappearance”.

Latifa’s video was published once it became clear that her attempt to get away, which began on February 24, had failed.

She had enlisted the help of Tiina Jauhiainen, a Finnish woman who had been her teacher of the Afro- Brazilian martial art capoeira; Christian Elombo, a French national who taught sports in Oman; and Herve Jaubert, a Franco-American businessman who claims to be a former French secret service agent.

After making it to Oman, Jauhiainen said she and Latifa boarded a yacht owned and piloted by Jaubert with the goal of reaching India, from where Latifa would fly to the United States.

But on the night of March 4-5, their vessel was surrounded by the Indian navy and detained by soldiers who then towed the yacht back to the United Arab Emirates.

Jaubert and Jauhiainen said they were held until March 20 and 22, when they were expelled from the country, while Latifa has not been heard from.

In a video released later, Jaubert, 62, claimed they were surrounded by “five warships, two planes and a helicopter” and were “beaten severely” by soldiers who boarded the yacht and robbed them, even as Latifa screamed that she was seeking asylum.

He said he was blindfolded and held in solitary confinement while being questioned, before being made to sign a forced confession and released.

“They wanted us to admit that it was a kidnapping, because according to their Islamic definition, a woman, even adult, cannot give her consent because she remains the responsibility of her father,” Jaubert said.

He said Latifa had contacted him because of his 2009 book Escape from Dubai, in which he recounts fleeing by dinghy to avoid fraud claims after a business deal soured.

Jaubert said he was to be compensated only for fuel costs, and had previously told the BBC that while he was supposed to be paid, money was not his motivation.

The Indian government has refused to comment, though the Business Standard newspaper, citing government sources, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself authorised the secret operation to consolidate the country’s strategic interests with Gulf states.

Elombo, 40, was arrested on Feb 26 on charges of facilitating the illegal entry and exit of the princess in Oman, according to sources close to the case.

He was given a suspended jail sentence and expelled in early April, when he went to visit his family in Luxembourg.

But upon his arrival, the police arrested him because of an Interpol “red notice” issued at the request of the UAE, seeking his extradition.

The warrant, seen by AFP, says Elombo is wanted on charges of “kidnapping”, which can carry a life sentence in prison.

Prosecutors in Luxembourg say they are still waiting for a formal extradition request, while France’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Elombo was benefiting from consular assistance, as he had in Oman.