Qatar releases two Norwegian journalists after detention
Qatari security forces detained two journalists working for Norway's state broadcaster whom Doha accused of trespassing on private property.
Qatari has released two journalists from Norway who were arrested while reporting on poor working conditions for migrants building infrastructure for next year’s FIFA World Cup, their employer said Wednesday.
Halvor Ekeland, a sports reporter for public broadcaster NRK, and Lokman Ghorbani, an NRK photographer, were in the small Gulf country to report on preparations for football’s biggest tournament.
NRK reported that the pair were arrested outside their hotel and held for more than 30 hours. Qatari security forces reportedly confiscated their equipment and forced them to delete their footage.
Doha has faced criticism over its treatment of migrants, who comprise a majority of Qatar's population. Rights groups say countless stadium workers have died on the job due to poor labor conditions. Qatar has pushed back on the criticism and points to several landmark labor reforms the country has enacted since winning its bid in 2020 to host the World Cup.
