Qatar charges an employer after investigating a tragic World Cup incident
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was riddled with controversies, particularly regarding the treatment of migrant workers.
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The backstory: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was riddled with controversies, particularly regarding the treatment of migrant workers who make up a huge portion of the country's population. According to a report by The Guardian, over 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since 2010, with many of them working on World Cup projects.
Although human rights organizations have accused Qatar of committing systematic abuses, the government has denied wrongdoing. But the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy confirmed last December there were three work-related deaths and 37 non-work-related deaths on World Cup-related projects. On the other hand, World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi told Piers Morgan in an interview the number was more like 400-500.
More recently: A tragic incident happened at a 2022 soccer World Cup training site in Qatar. A Filipino migrant worker named Alexander lost his life when he slipped off a ramp while walking next to a forklift truck. Reportedly, he wasn't wearing a safety harness or being assisted by a third worker, which is typical. This happened on a private road within the Sealine Beach resort, which was hosting the Saudi Arabia national team during the World Cup.
In December, the Qatari government launched an investigation and threatened legal action and hefty fines against Alexander's employer, Salam Petroleum, if safety protocols were not followed. Meanwhile, Qatar's World Cup organizing committee CEO, Nasser al-Khater, caused an uproar by stating that "death is a natural part of life" when asked about the incident during an interview.
The development: Now, Salam Petroleum, the employer of the Filipino migrant worker who passed away, is facing criminal proceedings initiated by Qatar's public prosecution. There's no timeline for an outcome yet, as the court will consider the case.
Key comments:
"The case has been referred from the public prosecution to the criminal court after a full investigation was completed, including witness testimony and a review of all technical and medical reports," said the Qatari government to the Guardian.
"Death is a natural part of life, whether it's at work, whether it's in your sleep. Of course, a worker died, our condolences go to his family," said Nasser Al Khater, chief executive of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, to journalists in December.
"The FIFA and Qatari authorities' responses exemplify their entities' longstanding disregard for migrant workers' lives, repeated obfuscation of key facts, and the failure to take responsibility for migrant workers' safety," said Human Rights Watch representatives.
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