Friends and colleagues told Doha News that Fatima Alsmadi and Muna Hawwa had not been arrested, Hawwa denies the claims too.

Former Al Jazeera presenter Muna Hawwa has denied rumours of her arrest in Qatar, saying she is “living safely” in Doha and has not been contacted by any security authority.

“For clarification: I have not been arrested in Qatar, nor have I been summoned by any security authority, nor have I received any communication regarding the ongoing events,” Hawwa said in a post on X, adding that she is safe with her child and hopes the war will end soon. She also rejected what she described as attempts to use her name to damage Qatar’s reputation.

Rumours circulating on social media on Friday had claimed that Hawwa and Fatima Alsmadi, a researcher at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies specialising in Iranian affairs, had been arrested in Qatar. Some posts also suggested their social media accounts had been forcibly deactivated.

The claims, widely shared on X and Telegram, raised concern among followers.

However, friends and colleagues of both women dismissed the reports, telling Doha News there was no truth to the allegations.

Al Jazeera English journalist Ali Hashem said he had spoken to Alsmadi by phone, confirming she was “well and working” and “safe at home”.

“I spoke with Dr Fatima Alsmadi this morning. She is well and working on her upcoming translation project,” he wrote. Responding to an X user who asked if she was under arrest, Hashem wrote, “She is safe at home.”

Hashem also announced that Alsmadi was working on the translation of “The Crazy Duck” by Hamed Hadian, which will be published by Dar Hashem in the coming weeks.

Hawwa had also remained active on social media, posting an Eid al-Fitr greeting on Instagram and resharing Hashem’s statement. Friends said she had reduced her activity on X weeks before the recent regional escalation for unrelated reasons.