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HRW worried Qatari activist Noof al-Maadeed is being held against her will

The Daily Mail reported that supporters of a missing women’s rights campaigner in Qatar fear Noof al-Maadeed is being held against her will after she returned to the country from exile in Britain.
Noof al-Maadeed, 23, vanished on October 13 after she spoke of being in danger and of death threats from abusive family members.
According to the Daily Mail, campaigners believe she is being held by the Qatari government.
Rothna Begum, from Human Rights Watch, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The authorities have suggested she is safe and not with her family and that she’s gone silent for her “own protection” but we are worried she is being held against her will with no access to the outside world in a form of detention.’

The Daily Mail said that Noof has been a prolific campaigner against Qatar’s male guardianship system in which women are dependent on men for permission to marry, travel abroad, pursue higher education and access reproductive healthcare.
It mentioned that it is illegal in Qatar for under-25s to travel abroad without a male chaperone.
But in 2019, then aged 21, Noof took her father’s phone and used a government app to process an exit permit before fleeing her home and taking a flight.
Read more: Lebanon arrests 54 Syrians during their attempt to leave Lebanon illegally by sea
It should be noted that Noof lived in Cardiff but cancelled her asylum seeker application and returned to Qatar last month after the authorities gave her assurances she would be safe.
Ms Begum said: ‘She is not somebody who’d switch off and not tell a single person how she is doing. She could be in forced detention.’
Source: daily mail
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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