News / Africa
HIV positive SA journalist fired by Al Jazeera, kicked out of Qatar
01 Dec 2011 at 05:56hrs | Views
A South African senior journalist has been sacked by Al Jazeera and thrown out of Qatar after testing HIV positive.
"MR is a senior journalist from South Africa. He accepted a job as a Senior Editor with Al Jazeera in October 2010 and relocated to Doha. Two months after his arrival, he was sent for a battery of medical tests. He was not informed which tests in particular were being conducted. He was also not informed of the results of any of these tests.
"One month later, having still not received the results of his blood tests, MR underwent blood tests at his own expense at a private clinic. When he returned for his results later that evening, he was chased off the clinic premises by clinic staff and security guards.
"The following day he was called to a meeting at Al Jazeera's offices. On his arrival, he was ordered to get into a car and driven to the Doha Prison, where he was detained in a crowded cell. He was forced to undergo a full medical examination, including a full body search, in front of the other prisoners.
"After his release from the Doha Prison, he was ordered to leave Qatar within 48 hours, failing which he would be arrested. He was also informed that his employment contract had been terminated. On his return to South Africa he discovered that he has HIV, and that his HIV status was the reason for his arrest, incarceration, dismissal and deportation," say Aids activists who are now legally fighting Al Jazeera and the Qatar government.
Qatar is one of five countries which deny visas to foreign nationals based on their HIV status. In the event that a foreign national is found to have HIV after he or she has already entered Qatar, the Minister of the Interior is empowered by domestic law to order the deportation of that person. If deportation is not immediately possible, the Minister of the Interior is allowed to detain the foreign national pending deportation.
"MR is a senior journalist from South Africa. He accepted a job as a Senior Editor with Al Jazeera in October 2010 and relocated to Doha. Two months after his arrival, he was sent for a battery of medical tests. He was not informed which tests in particular were being conducted. He was also not informed of the results of any of these tests.
"One month later, having still not received the results of his blood tests, MR underwent blood tests at his own expense at a private clinic. When he returned for his results later that evening, he was chased off the clinic premises by clinic staff and security guards.
"After his release from the Doha Prison, he was ordered to leave Qatar within 48 hours, failing which he would be arrested. He was also informed that his employment contract had been terminated. On his return to South Africa he discovered that he has HIV, and that his HIV status was the reason for his arrest, incarceration, dismissal and deportation," say Aids activists who are now legally fighting Al Jazeera and the Qatar government.
Qatar is one of five countries which deny visas to foreign nationals based on their HIV status. In the event that a foreign national is found to have HIV after he or she has already entered Qatar, the Minister of the Interior is empowered by domestic law to order the deportation of that person. If deportation is not immediately possible, the Minister of the Interior is allowed to detain the foreign national pending deportation.
Source - Sapa
