The Iranian member of parliament Zohreh Elahian has suggested to Princess Latifa, apparently unironically, that she come to Iran and live under the rule of the Islamic Republic so as to enjoy her freedom and human rights.
The conservative MP for Tehran wrote on Twitter: "An offer for the imprisoned daughter of the ruler of Dubai: come to Iran. You can study and live in Iran like other Iranian women and girls and enjoy the blessings of freedom and human rights."
Yesterday a recorded message from Princess Latifa was published by the BBC. The daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE, said she was imprisoned under guard in a villa on her father’s orders.
The 35-year-old is said to have fled the UAE by boat in 2018 with the help of a former French spy and a friend. But she was later detained by Emirati commandos off the coast of India and brought back to her native country.
Unsurprisingly, the Iranian MP’s has tweet caused widespread astonishment and amusement among Iranian social media users.
In a report due to go before the United Nations Human Rights Council later this month, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran said gender inequality and discrimination against women is still rife in Iran, both at the legislative and societal levels.
Javaid Rehman added that Iran should remove its discriminatory family, criminal and labor laws, defend women against gender-related violence, promote women's participation in cultural and political life and stop persecuting women's rights activists.
Some commenters on Elahian’s post included pictures of women who had been subjected to acid attacks, imprisoned for protesting against mandatory veiling or arrested for activities as innocuous as singing in public.
Related coverage:
UN Special Rapporteur Issues Damning Report on the State of Human Rights in Iran
European Parliament Approves Magnitsky Sanctions Against Human Rights Abusers in Iran
Impunity, Courage and the Pandemic: IranWire's Review of 2020
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