Zeynab Javadli arrested in Dubai amid custody battle over three daughters

Dubai prosecutors confirm ex-wife of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum is in custody after kidnapping complaint. Human rights lawyer calls for her immediate release.

Ex-wife of Dubai ruler's nephew detained as custody dispute escalates

Dubai Public Prosecution has confirmed to bbc.co.uk that Zeynab Javadli, the former wife of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum — a nephew of Dubai's ruler — has been taken into custody following a complaint filed by her ex-husband.

Javadli's family and friends had lost contact with her since Tuesday night and raised the alarm over her whereabouts. For nearly two days, no information was received about where she or her three young daughters had gone.

Her ex-husband has alleged she abducted the children during a court-approved visitation session. He had previously lodged a police complaint last year accusing her of kidnapping their daughters — a claim that came after the children had changed hands between the two parents multiple times, with each side accusing the other of abduction.

Javadli, a former international gymnast, had also been facing potential arrest on e-crimes charges in the UAE after she livestreamed one of the confrontations last year. In a video message to British human rights lawyer David Haigh, who has been advocating on her behalf, she explained: "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."

For months prior to her detention, Javadli had barely left her home, believing security officers were waiting to take her children and place her under arrest.

Lawyers representing Sheikh Saeed have argued in custody hearings that Javadli was an unfit mother who had failed to send her daughters to school, was living in a hotel room unsuitable for children, and had put the health of the youngest girl at risk.

In a statement issued Thursday evening, Dubai Public Prosecution said the matter remained under investigation and subject to ongoing legal proceedings. "We will continue to take the necessary legal measures in accordance with applicable laws, while safeguarding the children's wellbeing and best interests," the statement read.

Haigh responded by calling on the UAE to immediately grant Javadli access to her lawyer, her consulate and her family, and to release her back to her home in Dubai.

Javadli divorced Sheikh Saeed in 2019. The custody dispute over their three young daughters has intensified in recent months.

Source: Google News UAE — Dubai