WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Dubai royal insider breaks silence on escaped princesses | 60 Minutes Australia

Until three weeks ago, Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein seemed to be living a glamorous and exciting life. The sister of the King of Jordan was the former Olympian and high-profile UN ambassador. There they become a female icon. empowerment in the Middle East, but then the fairy tale was shattered from the outside. Anything. Wow, they have everything you could have ever imagined, but actually the things we take for granted, which is the most important thing, are not gone now. The 45-year-old princess, along with her two young children, fled to London apparently trying to escape her husband, the powerful billionaire ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

There is so much luxury but there is no freedom, there is no freedom, yes, no, no, there is no freedom and it is basic freedom Marcus's Sabri is one of the few people who understands what the secretive

royal

family of Dubai is really like. She knows this because she spent years living inside the palace, not that it would be a pleasant experience if I would have stayed there, if I will or have done so. They've kept me there I don't think I could have survived because I don't fit in I don't take their boxes well Marcus no member of the Dubai

royal

family has spoken like that before It's very brave of you short I wouldn't Call it brave, I think that's right With all the circumstances they are having at the moment, as you will see tonight, privilege and wealth do not guarantee happiness and the last probably permanent departure from Dubai by a high. high-ranking member of the royal family, she's actually not that amazing of a princess and her children are hidden here in the family's hundred and fifty million dollar mansion and security is always present there on the side of the road and the Kensington Palace is on the other, but it's a fitting hideout for this princess who is close friends with the Queen and powerful figures around the

world

. how they got here is an extraordinary story who

escaped

from Dubai under the cover of darkness on a private jet to Germany, supposedly assisted by foreign diplomats before finally seeking refuge here in London Oh Hussein is said to fear for his life, while it is obvious that the princess and the sheikh have had a massive fight leaving her husband without warning and taking $56 million with her, there the fight is about to get a much more volatile: she requested asylum and filed for divorce next week, A British court will begin hearing a bitter custody battle over the couple's two children, Gelila, 11, and Zayed, seven, if they are both enormously rich and he is worth around five billion. and her head of a burial kingdom indeed and she of course is a Jordanian royal family about the Australian Geoffrey Robertson he is a prominent lawyer in London and he says there could be fireworks in custody battles of this type the judge has to show the wisdom of solomon Do you sometimes find that in high profile cases like this, fear of the client's ego is a big deal?

Well there is no agreement, ego is usually the cause and sometimes of course the most massive ego can fall on its face, that is the danger of going headlong and I would like to welcome you because this dispute could seem like a simple Marriage breakup, while involving big egos and obscene wealth, is actually much murkier than that. At the center of this drama is why Princess Haya decided to flee Dubai and her husband in the First place, the upcoming court case has the potential to really expose what is going on within that family. I think it's not just about that family, but it's a big diplomatic problem.

Watch the case up close in London. Here's another human rights lawyer, David Hague, what does this say? about the way Sheikh Mohammed runs that family, we are very worried about Princess Haya. He believes the hired princess may have gone shopping after finally learning the truth about one of Sheikh Mohammed's eldest daughters, 33-year-old Princess Latifah, particularly with Latifa's case. given this and that copy is true and now we have a situation where there will be an English Court looking at whether or not it is appropriate to return two children to the father when their mother says her life is at risk and Tifa's evidence is now very, very important.

If you're watching this video, what happened to Princess Latifah is not so good. She was so fed up with her life in the United Arab Emirates and her dramatic attempt to escape from Ivory that she heard gunshots. I mean the blood was coming out of my head and how could it be the reason behind one of the biggest royal divorces the

world

has ever seen. Sir Latifah hired three

princesses

, they all ran away, that's what's next in 60

minutes

, my name is lit - Moo - Moo, I was born December 5, 1985. Princess Latifah is the 33-year-old daughter of one of the most rich and powerful of the world, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed, and I am making this video because it could be the last one with you.

Last year, Latifah tried to flee the royal palace, but before doing so, probably as a form of security, she recorded this surprising 38-minute video, My Father is Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and in it she made serious accusations about her father which, if true, could derail. the sheikhs threaten a custody dispute with his ex-wife, the hired princess, who has now fled to shop and is hiding in London with the couple's two young children. My vision is the way to be number one. The only thing my father cares about is his reputation and if you are watching this video it is not such a good thing or I am dead or I am in a very, very, very bad situation as the princess superior to the outsiders.

Princess Latifah seemed to have it all, an adrenaline junkie who loved to live the good life, but she kept a secret and it wasn't until she became friends with Heinen fork that Latifah opened up about it, she said that when she was a teenager she tried to date to buy but she was caught and then severely punished so that in total she was in prison for three and four years. months it was constant torture constant torture even when they didn't physically beat me they tortured me she basically had no freedom she wasn't allowed to have certain friends she even talked to certain family members her life was very restricted Latifa felt trapped and oppressed here in Dubai, She finally devised an extraordinary escape plan with her best friend Tina: they were equal parts Thelma, Louise and James Bond, at first they fled by Road to a Man, then by boat and jet ski to India and finally they flew to the United States, Where the princess was going to seek political asylum, the reward was freedom at last, but if both women were caught properly, the consequences would be dire.

She often said this, this is life or death for me. I was willing to take the risk even if she didn't. arrive to help her escape Princess Latifah hired former French spy Hervé Chabert after months of planning Latifah launched her daring bid for freedom in February of last year her friend Tina was at her side Farah we got in the car and we were like this, It really happened that we were hugging and no matter what happens, we both do this because we want to do it. They drove to neighboring Oman before facing the most dangerous part of this escape plot: a five-hour trip by boat and jet ski to international waters where Ovae's yacht the Nostromo was waiting.

I saw a woman who knew what was happening. She was absolutely determined to get away from there, they set course for freedom in Goa, India, but on the second day of that trip, Latifah made a silly mistake and sent her family a message to let them know that she had

escaped

. She didn't think there was any problem before arriving in India. Now I was aware that some trouble was coming, but imagine living in a colon cage your entire life when trouble came. She arrived strongly near India. Hervé noticed that his yacht was being tracked by air and sea at 11 p.m.

On March 4 of last year it was raided by commandos. There was a guy in front of me with a gun in his face. Someone grabbed me from behind. They handcuffed me when I was uncovered. They saw me on the ground. They hit me in the head. Blood was pouring from my head. in the middle of chaos. Tanner and Latifah were handcuffed and dragged to the deck of the ship exchanging one last look before the princess was dragged away at gunpoint. What was the look in her eyes at that moment? I was filled with fear but she was still fighting she wasn't planning on giving up taken against her will Princess Latifah was returned to Dubai human rights lawyer David Haig led the chorus of international condemnation but for months all she got in return was

silence

what do you think it might be needed to I think ultimately the only person who can let Latifah go because it's a dictatorship is a parent today.

David Haig is still as angry at Sheikh Mohammed's iron rule as he was when I met him. A year ago, when 60 Minutes first reported on Latifah's disappearance, some of her anger was personal. They beat me severely. There was also sexual abuse, which is very difficult to talk about. Still, David was the CEO of Leeds United Football Club in 2012. Taken over by a Dubai company, but when a financial dispute broke out, he flew to Dubai only to find himself locked up in jail on charges of which he would eventually be acquitted. What they did to me was so bad that when I was released I spent six months in the hospital recovering from broken bones and also a broken mind to help in the fight for Latifah's freedom, David has gathered a network of like-minded supporters and now includes the princess's own cousin, who for the first time talks about life. inside the palace why have you decided to talk because it was very difficult for me to ignore it I couldn't sleep at night you know I have to do something I believe that everything anyone does will help have a lot of effect these are the others The children they have are different from most men in Dubai.

Markus Acai Berry knows the difficulties that women in the royal family often face. That's because he used to be one of them. You are now Marcus. I have. Who did you grow up while I was growing up? Since it was evident from a very early age that boys were treated very differently to girls in Dubai, yes, yes, big time, yes, and I think that's why I didn't last there as brothers more than cousins. You know, Marcus? who transitioned to life as a man 10 years ago, the video game Hamza and I says he shared a special bond not only with Latifah but also with her sister Shumsa, another Dubai princess who tried, but failed, to escape the family real.

All I'm saying is that I made a decision right now. I have hope. I have a goal, but to get there I will have to sacrifice some of the things. I have farces. Obviously I trusted you. I mean, you're always too confident in those cards. Yeah, what did he say? When she opened up, she said that she would rather die than continue with the life they are leading. It's very difficult to talk about this because I feel like I let her down. It was July 2018. One-year-old Shumsa was on vacation at the family home. her and a thirty million dollar estate in Surrey, England, she managed to escape from the compound and was free for several weeks before she was finally caught and sent back to Dubai.

She was in prison for eight years and then I went to visit her a lot in the video. Latifah checked in in the lead up to her own bid for freedom, she talked about her sister's treatment right now, she has a psychiatrist with her and she's surrounded by nurses, they watch her take her pills, they make sure she takes all her pills . Drugs to control my mind I don't know what they are, so her life is how you control it, while it's impossible to verify Princess Latifa's claims about her sister. Markus believes every word. Do you think the way they supposedly brought Shumsa back to Dubai? from the UK would be playing with princess tires of mine, I hope so, I hope there's a reason she left, he's just showing you that we're not safe, whatever we have, disturbing clues about the princess face Latifah, what did she see when you looked at her?

I don't know, she was dragged or desperate and how much more scandal the Dubai family can take. Her power is falling. People are no longer afraid of him like before. That's what follows in 60

minutes

. Something is not right in Dubai's rich and privileged royal family. It began 19 years ago when ruler Sheikh Mohammed's daughter, Princess Hamza, tried to flee but failed. My name is her sister last year. , Princess Latifah, was similarly thwarted in a bid for freedom if you are Watching this video isn't such a good thing either I'm dead I'm in a very, very, very bad situation, but just three weeks ago one of the sheikhs' wives , the glamorous top princess, fled to London with her two young children.

The billion dollar question is. why and I don't want to delve deeper into it because for the protection of Leticia herself one of the most important clues is found in an extraordinary radio interview that Princess Haya gave in January under pressure to publicly explain what had happened to Latifah. I tried to follow the family line when what is important to us is that thefamilies make sure she is okay. She rejected any suggestion of mistreatment. If she thought for even a second that any of this was true, you know, she wouldn't do it. she couldn't take it for a real song Princess Haya had invited former UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson to visit Latifah in Dubai.

I dedicated my presidency to having a space for those who felt marginalized, but that backfired when disturbing photos of the meeting surfaced. were published Did you see the photo that was recently published of Sabri of Latifah Marcus? Sabri is Latifah's cousin. What did you see when you looked at her? Someone who was there but not there. Something was missing. It's like there was no life. I don't know if she was drugged or desperate. The void in an extraordinary turn a month after these photos were published. She also fled the royal palace first to Germany and then to London.

Shumsa Latifah hired three

princesses

. They all fled Dubai. Why no princess? because there they have the freedom to come and go when they do, women have the freedom who do not have the freedom that men have Marcus believes that it is better to leave her husband because she finally realized the truth about what had happened to her. to Latifah. very sad someone is taking her life it's like you're living but you have no right to live she's being locked up she's being beaten she's being fed I wouldn't even treat an animal like she has Lawyer David Hayek says accusations of that Latifah has been mistreated will prove crucial in the contract custody case because, whereas before they were essentially trying to cover it up, hide it, you know, I hope it goes away, we'll be here later, we know it's not going to go away.

Now that her evidence seems to me to become incredibly important in the UK court, the stage is now set for the next chapter of this battle royale. Sheikh Mohammed is taking the princess to a higher place in Britain's High Court and in what will be one of the most extraordinary custody cases the world has ever seen, suddenly the private lives of Dubai's rulers are about to be revealed very publicly here in London, this will be the biggest custody battle the world has ever seen between Sheikh Mohammed and the higher-ups. Do you think it's safe for those two kids to return for Diwali at all and I hope one day Latifah is free to be able to answer that question too and can tell you why not in detail given the amount of negative headlines?

That's really starting to build up around what's happening in Dubai first, Sheikh Mohammed, do you get the feeling that it might feel like it's Castley starting to fall apart around her? I think we are also seeing people you know who were close to the family who for the first time are ready to talk because their power is falling people are no longer afraid of them like before Mayim my hope my dad I can hug them see them make sure they are already well you know silent for so long Marcus says now he will keep talking until he has his cousin's charades and Latifah safe in his arms do you think it will ever happen?

I believe it. She wouldn't be here. I wouldn't do this if I didn't believe it. could happen, what would it mean to you to hug your cousins ​​again? really amazing amazing hugging them will be just amazing definitely hi I'm Liz Hayes thanks for watching to stay up to date with the latest news from 60 Minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our channel You can also download the 9 Now app to watch full episodes and other

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