The Metropolitan Police is facing serious questions after revelations that its officers provided close protection security services for Dubai's ruler during his visits to Britain, despite longstanding knowledge of human rights abuses linked to his regime.
Scotland Yard confirmed that its specialist protection officers were deployed to guard Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, while he was in the UK. The arrangement raises significant ethical concerns about British police protecting foreign leaders with controversial human rights records.
Background of Controversy
Sheikh Mohammed has been at the centre of multiple high-profile legal cases in British courts, including findings that he orchestrated the abduction of two of his adult children. In 2020, a High Court judge ruled he had ordered the forcible removal of his daughter Sheikha Latifa from a yacht in international waters and had previously abducted her sister Shamsa from Cambridge.
The judge stated there was compelling evidence that Sheikh Mohammed had "ordered and orchestrated" both abductions. Despite these damning findings, Metropolitan Police officers continued providing security for the Dubai ruler during his UK visits.
Police Defends Arrangements
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson explained that when protecting foreign dignitaries, the force follows guidance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They stated: "The provision of armed protective security to VIPs is reliant on threat and risk assessments and is provided in line with FCDO protocolled arrangements."
However, critics argue that providing police protection to leaders with such serious human rights concerns undermines Britain's commitment to upholding international human rights standards.
Broader Implications
This case highlights the complex relationship between UK law enforcement and wealthy foreign governments with questionable human rights records. The arrangement demonstrates how British institutions can become entangled with regimes that British courts have explicitly criticised for their actions.
The controversy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police's operations and decision-making processes regarding international dignitaries and the ethical considerations involved in such protective arrangements.
