The former wife of a member of Dubai's ruling family has expressed concern that she could be arrested as her ex-husband has lodged a criminal complaint with local police, accusing her of kidnapping their three young daughters.
Since their divorce in 2019, Zeynab Javadli has been involved in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the nephew of the ruler of Dubai.
It has come to a head in recent weeks as the children have changed hands between the parents several times, with each accusing the other of kidnapping them. Ms. Javadli also potentially faces arrest for e-crimes - online offences - after she livestreamed the latest showdown.
In going public, she says she realised that she was taking a big risk. I knew that it was the last chance to be with my children as they would never let me see them again. I genuinely believed that it was my last chance, so I just opened a livestream and called for help, she stated in a video message to her British lawyer, David Haigh.
Ms. Javadli was speaking from her house in Dubai, where she claims that she and her three daughters have essentially once again been isolated since she took them back with her after they'd been with their father for several weeks. Up until then, Ms. Javadli had effective custody of the children under a deal she says was agreed with the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in 2022. That agreement, she says, guaranteed her custody of the children until they were 18 years old, along with housing and other assistance. Their schooling has been funded by their father.
In exchange, David Haigh claims she had to sign papers agreeing not to speak to the media again about her situation, nor to do any more livestreaming. A subsequent court ruling granted custody to Sheikh Saeed, but Ms. Javadli asserts that she received assurances from involved parties that the deal with Dubai's ruler would not be affected.
That situation changed two months ago when, during a visitation by the children with Sheikh Saeed, she received a message from him via Dubai police indicating there was no need to return the children to her that day. After weeks of silence, she was granted a brief visitation at a child protection center. When she arrived, her children were absent, but as she was exiting, they rushed towards her, crying for her to take them home.
Determined to reunite with them, she ordered her driver to lock the doors and drive away. However, their path was obstructed by cars belonging to her ex-husband's associates. In that moment, she decided to livestream her plea for help, fully aware it might violate her agreement with authorities and risk her arrest.
Since that day, she has remained in her home with her daughters, unable to venture outside for fear of capture. The three girls—aged nine, seven, and six—have missed school.
To complicate matters, Sheikh Saeed's most recent court depositions differ with Ms. Javadli's account of events, claiming she forcibly took the children from the center with assistance from her driver. Their ongoing legal battle highlights a broader commentary on women's rights in Dubai, revealing a stark contrast between the jurisdiction's projected image of progressiveness and the reality many women like Ms. Javadli face.
Since their divorce in 2019, Zeynab Javadli has been involved in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the nephew of the ruler of Dubai.
It has come to a head in recent weeks as the children have changed hands between the parents several times, with each accusing the other of kidnapping them. Ms. Javadli also potentially faces arrest for e-crimes - online offences - after she livestreamed the latest showdown.
In going public, she says she realised that she was taking a big risk. I knew that it was the last chance to be with my children as they would never let me see them again. I genuinely believed that it was my last chance, so I just opened a livestream and called for help, she stated in a video message to her British lawyer, David Haigh.
Ms. Javadli was speaking from her house in Dubai, where she claims that she and her three daughters have essentially once again been isolated since she took them back with her after they'd been with their father for several weeks. Up until then, Ms. Javadli had effective custody of the children under a deal she says was agreed with the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in 2022. That agreement, she says, guaranteed her custody of the children until they were 18 years old, along with housing and other assistance. Their schooling has been funded by their father.
In exchange, David Haigh claims she had to sign papers agreeing not to speak to the media again about her situation, nor to do any more livestreaming. A subsequent court ruling granted custody to Sheikh Saeed, but Ms. Javadli asserts that she received assurances from involved parties that the deal with Dubai's ruler would not be affected.
That situation changed two months ago when, during a visitation by the children with Sheikh Saeed, she received a message from him via Dubai police indicating there was no need to return the children to her that day. After weeks of silence, she was granted a brief visitation at a child protection center. When she arrived, her children were absent, but as she was exiting, they rushed towards her, crying for her to take them home.
Determined to reunite with them, she ordered her driver to lock the doors and drive away. However, their path was obstructed by cars belonging to her ex-husband's associates. In that moment, she decided to livestream her plea for help, fully aware it might violate her agreement with authorities and risk her arrest.
Since that day, she has remained in her home with her daughters, unable to venture outside for fear of capture. The three girls—aged nine, seven, and six—have missed school.
To complicate matters, Sheikh Saeed's most recent court depositions differ with Ms. Javadli's account of events, claiming she forcibly took the children from the center with assistance from her driver. Their ongoing legal battle highlights a broader commentary on women's rights in Dubai, revealing a stark contrast between the jurisdiction's projected image of progressiveness and the reality many women like Ms. Javadli face.
