Tayeb Benabderrahmane Case: U.N. Condemns Qatar for Torture and Arbitrary Detention, While Paris Stands Accused of Abandoning Its Own Citizen

A damning report from the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, part of the Human Rights Council, has found that Qatar illegally arrested, arbitrarily detained, and tortured Tayeb Benabderrahmane, a French national and former adviser to Doha’s National Human Rights Committee.

But the most striking aspect of the case is not only the extent of the abuses committed by the Qatari authorities, but also the persistent silence of the French government — a silence that raises serious questions over whether Paris sacrificed the protection of one of its citizens in favor of political and economic interests with Qatar.

A French Citizen at the Mercy of Qatari Security Forces

On January 13, 2020, around 15 Qatari security officers arrested Tayeb Benabderrahmane in Doha. No warrant was presented, and no formal charges were communicated. He was taken to a secret detention facility, where he spent three weeks in complete isolation. During that time, he was subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation, forced into painful stress positions, and explicitly threatened with harm to his family.

According to the U.N. report, the purpose of his arrest was clear: to silence a man seen by the authorities as “troublesome” because of his integrity and outspoken stance against corruption at the highest levels of power.

Forged Documents and a Death Sentence

After six months of arbitrary detention, Benabderrahmane was placed under house arrest under constant security surveillance, before being deported to France in November 2020.

But his ordeal did not end there. In May 2023, a Qatari court sentenced him to death in absentia, based on confessions obtained under torture and documents that U.N. experts say were forged. The report states that the proceedings blatantly violated the most basic standards of a fair trial.

France’s Silence Amounts to Abandonment

Despite the severity of the allegations and the threat of execution, the French government has taken no significant public steps to defend its citizen.

Human rights advocates call this a complete dereliction of duty.

“France has shown itself either unable or unwilling to protect one of its own, even in the face of torture and a death sentence,” said an international law expert quoted by rights organizations.

Observers believe this stance is driven by a desire to protect lucrative contracts and strategic partnerships with Doha — even at the expense of the principles France claims to defend globally.

Firm Demands from the United Nations

The U.N. report calls on Qatari authorities to:

• Fully compensate Tayeb Benabderrahmane,
• Restore all of his rights,
• Conduct an independent investigation and hold perpetrators accountable,
• Reform security and judicial systems to comply with international obligations.

The U.N. has also warned that it may escalate the matter to the Human Rights Council if the recommendations are not implemented.

A Double Scandal Tarnishing Doha and Paris

For observers, the Benabderrahmane case represents a double scandal: a Gulf state committing abuses with impunity, and a Western democracy turning a blind eye to the fate of one of its own citizens for political and economic gain.

Experts warn that France’s silence could haunt Paris for years to come, undermining its credibility when it claims to champion human rights internationally while ignoring violations against its own nationals.