Dr. Mahmoud al-Jaidah, a Qatari doctor employed by Qatar Petroleum, has now been held in the United Arab Emirates for more than four months without apparently being charged of any crime.

His family members have now said the doctor was beaten by Emirati authorities and is kept in solitary confinement, according to a report published by the BBC yesterday. 

Al-Jaidah was detained at the Dubai airport on February 26 while in transit between Thailand and Qatar. 

According to the BBC report, al-Jaidah’s family has been able to visit him three times since, through intervention from the Qatari government. And despite earlier reports that he was “safe and healthy,” he’s said to have lost some 10kg and have very limited access to legal representation.

Shortly after he was detained in February, relatives said they expected him to be released within weeks. But a lawyer told the Peninsula newspaper in April that he could be held for up to 90 days before being charged. 

That deadline has come and gone, however, with little clarification of his status or when he might be released. 

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo via the BBC