LIVE discussion: Conor Howard is due in court tomorrow over Qatar issued Interpol Red Notice for carrying an herb grinder from Australia to the UK last year. Qatar's human rights record is under fire after strip search of Australian passengers.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Expert Witness in extradition cases, talks live to Conor Howard who faces Greek court tomorrow to decide whether he will be extradited to Qatar over an herb grinder legally purchased when in Australia.
Qatar has been criticised by Australian and British authorities over the strip search and invasive examination of women on board a flight from Doha to Sydney last week. Qatar authorities have apologised for the treatment that Australians say amounted to sexual assault.
Radha Stirling, who is giving expert testimony to the Greek courts said in a statement today, `"Conor Howard was questioned in Doha over the herb grinder while en route to the United Kingdom in 2019. Authorities confiscated the item and told him he was free to leave the country. Conor thought that was the end of the matter. Qatar then listed Conor on Interpol's Red Notice database and requested his extradition from Greece where he was recently arrested in what appears to be yet another airport enforcement blunder.
"Qatar has apologised to the Australian and British women who were sexually assaulted by authorities and should apologise to Conor for having him jailed in Europe for something that is not a crime in Australia, not a crime in Greece and not even a crime in Qatar.
"Qatar has been seriously damaged by these terrible decisions that have led to the abuse of women at their international airport and the wrongful detention and prosecution of Scottish national Conor Howard.
"These repeated violations show the international community that Qatar is simply not ready for tourism, not ready for investors and certainly not ready for FIFA 2022."``
Conor Howard and his family nervously await the outcome of proceedings tomorrow.
Conor Howard discusses his extradition with Radha Stirling, live on Facebook yesterday.