The preliminary investigation into the attempted murder of a newborn baby found in a very serious condition at Hamad International Airport (HIA), and the subsequent procedures taken by the authorities at the airport, including examining a number of female passengers, revealed that standard procedures were violated.
"Those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office," the Government Communications Office (GCO) announced Friday.
Following the directives of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, specialised task forces are reviewing and identifying any potential gaps in the procedures and protocols followed at Hamad International Airport, in order to address them and ensure that any violations are avoided in the future, the GCO statement explained.
HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister expressed the Government of the State of Qatar’s sincerest apology for what some female travellers went through as a result of the measures.
"We regret the unacceptable treatment of the female passengers at HIA. I assure you that we will hold those responsible for these acts to account. What took place does not represent Qatar's laws or values. We will undertake all measures to prevent a recurrence," he tweeted.

The GCO statement also pointed out that "this incident is the first of its kind at HIA, which has served tens of millions of passengers without any issues like this before. What took place is wholly inconsistent with Qatar’s culture and values. Qatar is fully committed to the safety and security of all travelers arriving to or transiting through HIA."
HE the Assistant Foreign Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah AlKhater tweeted that "Qatar expresses its sincerest apologies for the disturbing experience some female travellers went through as a result of the measures taken to investigate a murder attempt.
"The measures taken were a violation of Qatari laws and those responsible have been referred to prosecution," she added.

On Wednesday, the GCO had announced that HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister ordered a comprehensive, transparent investigation be conducted into the incident in which an abandoned infant was discovered at HIA.
According to a GCO statement, on October 2, 2020, a newborn infant was found in a trash can, concealed in a plastic bag and buried under garbage, at HIA.
"The baby girl was rescued from what appeared to be a shocking and appalling attempt to kill her. The infant is now safe under medical care in Doha.
"This was the first instance of an abandoned infant being discovered in such a condition at HIA – this egregious and life-threatening violation of the law triggered an immediate search for the parents, including on flights in the vicinity of where the newborn was found.
"While the aim of the urgently-decided search was to prevent the perpetrators of the horrible crime from escaping, the State of Qatar regrets any distress or infringement on the personal freedoms of any traveller caused by this action.
"The results of the investigation will be shared with our international partners. The State of Qatar remains committed to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all travelers transiting through the country," the GCO statement had added.
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