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Two families and

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one unthinkable crime.

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He's very articulate,

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he's very intelligent, he's a good-looking

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guy. Comes from an

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articulate family, obviously, but

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he's a cold-blooded killer. From WBUR

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2021 and May 2022. Potential

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savings will vary. One

1:17

night, when Latifah and Tina were on

1:19

board the yacht Nostromo, a few days after

1:21

their escape from Dubai, the sea

1:23

grew calmer. The

1:27

two of them were out on deck, they had on

1:29

hoodies against the chill, and they were

1:31

looking at the sky. If you see all

1:33

the stars, it was beautiful. And

1:36

you could obviously see the light on the

1:38

waves as well. So

1:40

it was really, really beautiful. And

1:44

Latifah suggested that they stay out there all night

1:46

instead of going down to their cabin. She

1:49

wanted to sleep on outside

1:51

on the top deck of

1:54

the boat. And

1:56

she was like, oh, you know, I want to be

1:58

doing things like this in the future as

2:00

well you know. Tina

2:03

told her, oh come on it's cold it'll

2:05

be more comfortable in our beds. You'll have plenty

2:08

of opportunities to do things like this now. So

2:10

they went down to their cabin. It

2:13

sounds like maybe you regret that a bit

2:15

now is that something? Yeah a little bit.

2:18

Yeah I should have done it because

2:20

you know obviously it's the same like

2:22

anything is like you know sometimes

2:24

there's an opportunity to do it just

2:27

once. I don't know. I

2:30

don't know if I just to do it rather

2:32

than. You're

2:49

listening to the Runaway Princesses from In the

2:51

Dark and The New Yorker. It's

2:53

the story of why women in Dubai's

2:55

royal family keep trying to run away

2:58

and what happens to them when they do. I'm

3:01

Madeline Barron. This is episode three, A

3:04

Nice Lunch. My

3:10

colleague Heidi Blake obtained texts and emails

3:12

set by the band of conspirators on

3:14

board Nostromo as they were crossing the

3:16

Arabian Sea on their way to India

3:19

and she pieced together their story. When

3:22

we left off last episode it

3:24

was the end of the day Latifah made her escape. She'd

3:27

been traveling since dawn. She'd been

3:29

hidden in a car trunk. She

3:31

and Tina had been passed around in a

3:33

dinghy in huge waves. They'd been picked up

3:35

by jet skis and they finally reached the

3:37

yacht. So Heidi tell

3:39

me about that moment when they finally climb

3:41

on board. Well so they reached the boat at

3:44

sunset and Tina told me that once they'd clambered

3:46

aboard they hugged each other but they were just

3:48

too exhausted and nauseated to celebrate.

3:51

Tina remembers that she took a shower because she

3:53

was soaked in seawater so was Latifah but

3:56

after that she was just knocked sideways by

3:58

a migraine and Latifah was violently ceasing. for

4:00

the first couple of days. And who

4:02

else is on the boat with them apart from Irvay? They're

4:04

the small Filipino crew, but it's not a

4:06

luxury cruise. Tina said that when she and

4:09

Latifah were well enough to come out of

4:11

their cabin, they found that Evay's

4:13

boat was filthy. There were cockroaches

4:15

in the food supplies and Tina said they

4:17

mostly lived on porridge. I

4:19

remember cooking one day, we

4:22

had boiled potatoes

4:24

with high beans. Uh-huh.

4:27

And I was really happy about it

4:30

because actually it was something that wasn't

4:32

cereal. I think at

4:34

first at least they were pretty exuberant.

4:36

Latifah texted a friend from aboard the

4:38

boat saying, I really feel so free

4:41

now. Walking target, yes, but totally free.

4:44

She also wrote farewell messages to her

4:46

mother and her siblings. And she posted

4:48

a triumphant message on Instagram saying, I

4:50

have escaped UAE after being trapped for

4:52

18 years. Wait, why

4:54

is she doing this at this point? Like she's not

4:57

actually, I mean, she's still on the boat. She's

5:00

still in the middle of her escape. I know, I had

5:02

exactly the same thought. Like, isn't this really risky? Isn't

5:04

this the sort of thing that Shamsa did that

5:06

got her into trouble? Right. But

5:08

it seems like Latifah figured that her family

5:10

were gonna know she was gone as soon as she missed

5:13

her curfew, which is at 10 p.m. And

5:15

she wanted to make clear that she hadn't been kidnapped, that

5:17

she'd left Dubai of her own free will and that they

5:19

should just let her go. There was no need to mount

5:21

some kind of rescue effort. But

5:24

soon after they set out, Evay did something

5:26

that seriously complicated, don't picture. He

5:29

contacted a lawyer in Florida and asked her

5:31

to draw up a settlement agreement demanding $300

5:33

million from Sheikh Mohammed on

5:36

Latifah's behalf. Now Latifah didn't

5:39

have a bank account, so Evay told the

5:41

lawyer that the money should be transferred to

5:43

his account in the Philippines. And he promised

5:45

that he would split it evenly with Latifah

5:47

and Tina. Was Latifah on board with this?

5:50

Well, Evay said that actually the settlement had been

5:52

her idea and that his share of $100 million

5:56

was his payment for helping her escape. He

5:58

really denied that he pressured Latifah in any... The way.

6:00

But. Let's see the tell Tina the have a

6:02

mind seem to be always on money and profit

6:04

and she'd gone along with a plan to to

6:07

appease him knowing that her father would never pay

6:09

Anyways, we didn't really matter. So.

6:11

Sending all these messages from onboard

6:13

posting on Instagram? Definitely not trying

6:15

to slip away quietly. No,

6:17

in fact, they wanted. Publicity

6:19

of and the Tisa. We're also trying

6:22

to reach journalists as as he was

6:24

making her escape. Or they

6:26

had promised to use his contacts in the

6:28

international media to publicize history so that the

6:30

world would. Be watching a some of the

6:32

tried to retaliate. When. He was

6:35

signed me on, booed and streamer had reached

6:37

out to people he said he knew at

6:39

the B B C and the Associated Press.

6:41

The he got no reply. So instead of.

6:43

A put the t for answer to the group called

6:45

detained in Dubai. They. Advocate for people who

6:48

run into trouble with the law. Run the Emirates and

6:50

he'd worked with them before. that

6:52

he for look them up from on both a yacht. And.

6:54

Tina said. she was dismayed when she saw that

6:56

the group seem to have kind of a low

6:58

profile. They had hardly any Facebook followers, she said,

7:01

but she got in touch. Hello

7:03

My name is. like Mohammad Reza

7:05

said, I'm a tomb. My birthdays to

7:07

some I have copies of O'day

7:09

messages lucky percent to. Detained in Dubai

7:11

from on board the boat just a few days

7:14

after setting sail. She tells

7:16

him about sums up and how she

7:18

decided that the only way to help

7:20

her was to escape. Ah so now

7:22

as I am I less amount of

7:25

the you at you but I'm not

7:27

as of danger at all. On so

7:29

far from being safe so am I

7:31

think some kind of publication would be

7:34

good Already contacted some major newspapers or

7:36

other know what else to say Really

7:38

like I just hope it all goes

7:40

okay because there's so many people involved

7:42

who were helping me to get out.

7:46

And I hope everybody does. This ends

7:48

up okay. That.

7:50

He says messages landed in the in box of

7:52

Detained in Dubai. Ceo Rod Sterling and

7:55

she told me that she has

7:57

suffered years of abuse that she

7:59

wanted. The free and that she's gone

8:01

to great lengths to make her way out

8:03

of to get where he will receive. The

8:06

started asking me whether I can put this

8:08

in the media and as soon as possible

8:10

because she thought that that would protect. The.

8:13

Run a said that Sas they have to figure out whether this

8:15

whole thing was. A hoax. It sounded like the

8:17

kind of email you that from a scammer

8:20

who claims to be a foreign prince. you

8:22

know, because it was such a convoluted story

8:24

and it's the first time that you know

8:26

I'd heard a daughter of a ruler complain

8:28

about their and abuse and I think. Myself.

8:31

Like most other people would seem, that he

8:33

at least treats his family quite well, but

8:35

he at least treats his daughters well. so

8:37

it seemed almost unbelievable to me. I

8:40

should add that Sigma hum it denies. Appeasing his

8:42

daughters. Brought. A

8:44

new the media wouldn't print anything without some

8:47

sort of evidence. Detained. In Dubai,

8:49

set about verifying that the T for was who

8:51

she said. She was. A

8:55

Then the teacher was getting more. And more

8:57

uneasy about how her escape was going. To

9:00

have some friends but can do a He was

9:02

saying that they'd been rounded up. And questioned

9:04

about her disappearance and then they had

9:06

that Christian seen as friend he taking

9:08

them out see and the dinghy had

9:11

been arrested. Because are not

9:13

right. Because you know. What

9:17

is sick of it was one of

9:19

them outside. Without

9:21

you know. And.

9:23

They were other ominous signs. A

9:26

week into the voyage of a spotted another

9:28

set. Apparently telling them. And

9:30

a small plane was circling overhead. And

9:32

then Tina says the as. I told them

9:35

he was running low on fuel. Or

9:37

it's okay. I'm

9:43

trying to arrange to to

9:45

the purely know about was.

9:51

How. Do you run out of fuel in

9:53

a situation like that? Some in this is

9:55

that a plot that has then like literally

9:57

years in the making and then they. The

10:00

run out of fuel. Well.

10:02

It's a great. Question So when. I asked

10:04

of a about this. He insisted that he had

10:06

enough. Fuel to reach the original destination. but now

10:09

he was worried they were gonna have to change

10:11

roots because it seem like they were being full.

10:13

He also by the way insisted that his boat

10:15

was immaculate and the cockroaches are just and inevitable

10:17

part a seafaring. But. In

10:20

any case, officer we can see when they

10:22

were thirty miles. Off the coast of

10:24

India are they sent a text to

10:26

Rada saying. I am running out

10:28

He said the in a couple of days.

10:30

Is to to trick would be empty. Tina

10:33

said that the Teeth of is growing

10:35

increasingly Simon. says. I

10:39

think it's a lot to do

10:41

with that. See works annoyed. increasingly.

10:47

Situations. All

10:50

of them were afraid that much cheaper had. Been

10:52

located at a text at Rada.

10:55

They will kill her. In

11:03

two thousand and ten, the largest

11:05

oil spill in American history captivated

11:07

the public's attention. Authorities told the

11:09

story of a response effort that

11:11

prevented a worst case scenario. But.

11:14

If you ask some people who

11:16

lived through the spill they'll tell

11:18

you a more complicated stores they

11:20

want. Attending to the workers I

11:23

was bleeding from everywhere we were

11:25

all like to. from Western Sound

11:27

and a Pm Studios comes a

11:29

new investigative podcast Ripple. Available

11:32

now. Almost.

11:39

Forth about a week after they left him

11:41

on T Reality for went down. To. Their cabins

11:43

to get ready for that. Were. Like okay,

11:45

let's get some sleep. It was like. In

11:48

L quite quite say it's and then

11:50

I you know as as I think

11:52

lucky fab was yeah proceed has seized.

11:56

That's what we thought. Sharing with those

11:58

flights are really. Loud sounds like

12:01

you know some be foods

12:03

you know as if like that

12:05

small paper loud noise. These.

12:08

The. Two women heard something that sounded

12:10

like gunshots and then heavy boots overhead.

12:14

And the cheapest had to tina. They

12:16

found me. The. Chief of

12:18

the trying to send messages. Asking for help but

12:20

than the why scientists casa? The.

12:22

To him and lock themselves in the bathroom and

12:24

they were hugging each other that he the kept

12:26

saying she was sorry and then they started smelling

12:28

smoke. Pick up a feeling of

12:31

some sort of the smoke. On

12:34

a Sunday. Coming into the bathroom

12:37

aswell from the bends. And

12:40

then the average somebody was knocking

12:42

on the door and a those

12:44

one of their philippine of crew

12:46

members man he said that said

12:49

both has been boarded. A

12:52

simple have causes an eight hour. it was by

12:54

be looked like had sex call. it was like

12:56

in a panic as while. They.

12:58

Put wet towels over their faces to block.

13:00

The. Smooth. And

13:02

then he stumbled out to. The. Bathroom. And

13:05

completely dogs as they made their way up

13:07

the stairs to with. And

13:09

I was in the from. Behind

13:15

me be careful, be careful

13:17

and a the sites that

13:19

have half way up the

13:21

stairs were in all those

13:24

sites for pointing. Tina.

13:26

Said the red laser sights have guns

13:29

slice. Through the darkness in all directions.

13:32

There. Was a pool of blood. Of the top of the

13:34

stairs. she didn't know who that was. Men:

13:37

In mosques grabs her and drugs had to the

13:39

front of the pain. They sit

13:41

tight her hands and that's a

13:43

basic supports made a lot slower.

13:46

Than expose their squad.

13:49

And they were threatening to shoot me

13:52

and like close your eyes of issue

13:54

to. She says someone

13:56

told has a takes her last. Breath and

13:58

of the gather said. The

14:01

Way My life is ending. She

14:03

says the chief of was yelling at the men to

14:06

leave her friend alone. The. Commandos were

14:08

yelling who is the Tisa. Someone.

14:10

Grabbed a t for by the hair and

14:13

young adults. he saida to someone else and

14:15

said is this her. The.

14:17

Cheapest shouted over and over that she

14:19

wanted asylum that the men didn't listen.

14:22

And she was. She was taken

14:24

away kicking and screaming, The

14:27

teeth of thought and thought, she

14:29

was kicking and sitting and clinging

14:31

to the gunnels and she yelled

14:33

out, don't mean to kill me

14:35

now. And

14:37

then Tina want to say drives a friend over

14:39

the side of the boat. And.

14:42

The teeth of is. How.

14:50

Did sick. Mohammed managed to find them. Who.

14:53

He is every operate. As state

14:55

power to locate his daughter is

14:57

a souls had rounded up the

14:59

cheapest friends and her accomplices and

15:01

his intelligence agents had intercepted communications

15:04

from this promo. then the you

15:06

either go Interpol the International Police

15:08

agency to issue read notices, solicitors

15:10

accomplices for Christian and ebay and

15:12

Tina. A second international arrest

15:14

warrant accusing them of kidnapping her. When

15:18

the York was eventually located. Off the

15:20

coast of India sigma some Id

15:22

cool than a favor from a

15:24

powerful ally. He spoke personally with

15:26

the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

15:28

and they have started deal. Moody

15:30

wanted an arms dealer. He was

15:32

based in Dubai and said Mohammed

15:35

agree to extradite this guy in

15:37

exchange for his daughters capture. The

15:39

Indian government deployed boats, helicopters and

15:41

a team of armed commandos to

15:43

store Ministry May and Carola Tisa

15:45

away. Wow. And what happens

15:47

to are they and cleaner and the crew.

15:50

Both. They were all taken back to the you're

15:52

A by see. And. Every was in

15:54

really rough shape. He was

15:56

severely obese and on a producer.

16:00

The way when within the both his

16:02

eyes places I like rolling and he

16:04

he was in some sort of chalk.

16:07

Tina. Says that when as did come. To. He

16:09

was terrified. He was sure he was going to

16:12

be killed. I was more

16:14

like i don't know sad

16:16

that this this plan and

16:18

sales or out was the

16:20

biggest concern for me as

16:22

it's at all say of.

16:29

The triptych days and seen as as as

16:31

they travel both sides of the ocean she

16:33

would just stare at the waves and cry.

16:37

When they reach to buy them blindfolded and

16:39

then looked up in separate cells, Peanut didn't

16:42

know where that he for was, whether she

16:44

was even still allies and he couldn't cool

16:46

anymore. Her family had no idea where she

16:49

was, there were no witnesses to her capture,

16:51

no news about her. Every

16:54

one on buena streamers had just finished.

17:01

Reading a. Rather,

17:09

Sterling, the head of detained. In Dubai

17:11

with him in Spain. Still puzzling over

17:14

the strange case of the runway princess.

17:16

When she received the teeth as Sms

17:18

messages from a Buddha streamer she said

17:20

oh my god, I can hear gunshots.

17:23

I can. Him men outside as. Okay,

17:25

what's going on then suddenly has

17:27

signed. Just a couple of minutes

17:29

later has signed up completely puzzles

17:31

and none of my messages for

17:33

getting through and nothing things treat

17:35

me. Right a second to

17:37

the city's His father had sent men after her

17:40

and her captors. Probably had has fan since

17:42

she sent messages to at sipping that they

17:44

see them. Along the lines of

17:46

in over aware of that he sober

17:48

aware of. Have a sure bet we'd

17:50

know what's happening if we don't get

17:53

confirmation that see his allies and safe

17:55

and well I'm were immediately going to

17:57

release this to read to the world's.

18:00

The beer and make for post the

18:02

authorities and I hope that at least

18:04

if I saw that and they were

18:06

planning to execute them they would cancel

18:08

that plan because they realize okay as

18:10

other people outside he know what's going

18:12

on so we going to get exposed.

18:15

At the time broader was working with a

18:18

lawyer named David. hate speech been imprisoned in

18:20

Dubai. Him says. He'd. Been watching

18:22

for an Investment Sunday when he'd had a

18:24

falling out with his buses and eight accuse

18:26

him of fraud and slander. After that he

18:28

was held for two years and by jails

18:30

where he said he was beaten and raped

18:32

and forced to sign a document in Arabic

18:34

that appeared to be. A full confession.

18:37

David lives in Como now.

18:40

He was driving me the his seafront cottage when

18:42

he told. Me about the night that they'd sms

18:44

messages from the teeth. I came in. He

18:46

said he and Radha didn't want to do

18:48

anything public until they knew what had happened.

18:50

For all they need. Than a stream I might

18:52

have been hit by pirates. And a city

18:54

bus hadn't been captured by her father's man. They

18:56

didn't want to give away where she was. I

18:59

remember we. Were

19:02

all by what they done to them for

19:04

the debt that. Those gonna believe it?

19:07

What the hell do we do now? Detained.

19:10

In the by filed a missing persons report. With

19:12

Scotland Yard and they notified the and

19:14

increased god. that us find your

19:16

had vanished. But. No authority

19:18

would take up the case. And

19:21

then detained in Dubai. Received an email from the lawyer

19:23

in Florida that the t front of a had been.

19:25

In touch with from on board and streamer. It

19:28

contains the video The Zebra had recorded

19:30

before she escaped. David.

19:32

Hague was at a birthday. Party on a cliff top

19:34

in Cornwall. When he got the message. The.

19:36

Phone services. But and he left to

19:39

the he could download the video. I'm fine

19:41

or then why get like four basel stop.

19:44

Almost as the. Hello

19:47

my name as soon as he finds

19:49

of to my. Father is from minister

19:51

of the way and deserve to.

19:53

Be or of device and if

19:55

they get these are watching the

19:57

videos either under his arm. Right

20:00

at issue is. How

20:02

she's like oh my god. Who

20:06

to talk about to talk about

20:08

other the murder is to talk

20:10

about other views as seen through.

20:13

A was basically evidence saying my

20:15

father and his men are very

20:17

bad Thera to me they don't

20:19

be terrible things help save. With

20:21

me in a little should be told

20:23

me that your father told us to

20:25

be Chino and took measurements in my

20:27

life history. But says nothing. Didn't

20:29

respond to public image with his

20:32

two. Females

20:39

united so the books but.

20:42

I knew what was that dynamite

20:44

he has he thought this is

20:46

a nuclear bomb or is the

20:48

new group on the would get

20:50

have her freedom is she was

20:52

still alive and would get. The.

21:02

Group released a video to the media and

21:04

they posted it on the internet. We put

21:06

it on you tube and bit but around

21:08

the world. No. One

21:10

from T Buys royal families had anything

21:12

publicly and response to the video but.

21:14

Soon. Ebay and Tina and the

21:17

Filipino crew members. Were released. Tina.

21:19

Fey to her family's home in Finland. Have

21:22

a sales last time I to Sri Lanka. And

21:24

then the two of them made their

21:26

way to London or new for hi

21:28

everyone and they gave a press conference

21:31

with attained to defy. Mother is seen

21:33

as that he thought my best friend

21:35

Tina was nervous but she told her

21:37

story. And a steady voice Though the

21:39

reason I'm here today because our

21:41

our story to be heard in

21:43

order to lucky fast gets a

21:45

chance for freedom she told to

21:47

report says about her friendship with

21:49

the Tisa. About. The cookware a

21:51

lesson. About how fast the T

21:54

the had been. So shy the have to wear

21:56

a nickname was timid. Has

21:58

he come out of herself when she started? skydiving.

22:01

How Tina had come to love her. Latifah

22:03

is probably the kindest person I know. She

22:07

always goes out of her way to help

22:09

others and she doesn't want to

22:11

take any credit of things that she does for

22:13

others. She also comes

22:15

across as very embarrassed of her family's

22:17

wealth. She's

22:19

very generous though, very down

22:21

to earth. Tina

22:23

told the story of the escape. She

22:26

told how commandos had stormed Nostromo

22:29

and how she'd been taken to Dubai and

22:31

imprisoned and interrogated for hours at a time. I

22:34

was threatened with a death penalty and

22:37

in a better scenario, I would be

22:39

looking at a life in

22:41

prison. And basically

22:43

they didn't believe anything I said. They

22:46

didn't believe that I didn't help Latifah

22:48

because she was my friend. They thought

22:51

I was after some monetary gain

22:54

and they also wanted to know

22:56

which organization was behind this whole

22:58

plan. And in order to

23:01

be released, I was forced

23:03

to make a cause confession

23:06

and sign documents in Arabic and

23:09

agree on a non-disclosure agreement.

23:12

Tina says after she was released, she got

23:14

threatening phone calls. It sounded like the

23:16

same guy who'd been interrogating her. And

23:19

he basically reminded me that Sheikh Mohammed

23:21

can get me anywhere. So

23:23

I wasn't really safe anywhere if

23:25

I would talk, if I

23:27

would give any details about what happened to the

23:30

press. So after my

23:32

release, when I first saw the

23:34

video that was obviously published and

23:36

it was made in my apartment,

23:38

that's where we recorded it. I

23:41

felt very, very emotional and I started

23:43

to cry in front of my family.

23:47

I realized then that I need to

23:49

keep on fighting for her and I

23:51

wish everyone would do

23:53

their best to really help Latifah to

23:55

be free. pretty

24:00

shocking. Does this end up getting a

24:02

lot of media attention? Yeah, the

24:05

story of the runaway princess and the

24:07

French captain and the martial arts instructor

24:09

ran in newspapers and on TV. They

24:12

say she was snatched from this

24:14

yacht by Emirati Special Forces off

24:16

the coast of India as she

24:18

tried to make an extraordinary escape

24:20

from her father and the city

24:22

state he ruled. But Tina and

24:24

Erve's story was greeted with some

24:26

scepticism. An Interpol Red Notice issued

24:28

in March that the UAE's request

24:30

partially confirms their story. But

24:33

the warrant alleges that instead of

24:35

escaping of her own free will,

24:37

Princess Latifa was kidnapped. The

24:40

BBC cast some doubt on the credibility

24:43

of Latifa's supporters and it even aired

24:45

a sort of conspiracy theory that detained

24:47

in Dubai could be getting money from

24:49

Qatar. That this whole thing could

24:51

be part of a standoff between those two

24:53

countries. Could Princess Latifa have

24:55

become a pawn in big power

24:57

politics? The

24:59

government of Dubai told us that for

25:01

legal reasons they were unable to comment

25:04

on the details of the allegations, but

25:06

they said that those making them had

25:08

a track record of criminal activity. In

25:10

spite of all this news coverage of Princess

25:13

Latifa's capture, the UAE government still

25:15

offered no response, no

25:17

comment, no proof that Latifa was even

25:19

alive. Detained in Dubai

25:22

reported her abduction to the United Nations

25:24

and then they worked with the BBC's investigative

25:27

programme Panorama to make a

25:29

documentary about her escape. That

25:32

programme came out in December, nine

25:34

months after Latifa disappeared. The

25:36

Mystery of the Missing Princess The

25:40

documentary's release date coincided with Latifa's

25:43

33rd birthday. It included

25:45

interviews with multiple people who said the

25:47

princess had escaped of her own free

25:49

will and had been violently captured by

25:51

armed men sent by her father. and

26:00

to freedom and look

26:03

what happens and now I don't even know where

26:05

she is. I have the

26:09

greatest concern regarding Latifah

26:11

that she might not even be alive. No

26:17

one's seen her, no one's heard from her. There's

26:20

been no official response from

26:23

the UAE at all. Not

26:25

to us, not to the press, not to

26:27

Amnesty International, not to human rights watch. And

26:30

don't, significantly, not to

26:32

United Nations, not

26:34

to both the UAE and India. Nothing.

26:36

Why would that be? When

26:40

the documentary was released, the Emirati government

26:42

finally issued a public response. This

26:45

was its first acknowledgement that the incident had

26:47

even occurred. It said

26:49

that Latifah had not tried to escape,

26:51

but had been kidnapped by Erve Jauber,

26:54

who'd demanded a ransom of 300 million dollars. The

26:58

statement says, Her Highness Sheikah

27:00

Latifah is now safe in Dubai. She

27:02

and her family are looking forward to celebrating

27:04

her birthday today, in privacy and

27:06

peace. But they

27:08

issued no photos. There was no

27:11

proof that Latifah was celebrating anything. None

27:13

of her friends had heard any word from her. Representatives

27:16

of the United Nations wrote to the

27:19

UAE, demanding information about her whereabouts.

27:22

And then, later that month, the

27:24

UAE released three photos. And

27:27

there was Latifah, sitting at a table

27:29

with plates of food in front of her. And

27:32

next to her was someone quite powerful,

27:35

Mary Robinson. Right,

27:37

you wrote about this in your article. It's

27:39

like a strange scene where Latifah is pictured

27:41

with Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland.

27:45

Yes, and the former UN High Commissioner for

27:47

Human Rights. Along with the

27:49

photos, the UAE issued a statement. It

27:51

says, President

28:00

of Ireland met with her Highness Sheka

28:02

Latifah in Dubai. Photographs

28:05

taken during the afternoon they spent together

28:07

have been shared with their consent. During

28:10

her visit to Dubai, Mary Robinson was

28:12

reassured that Her Highness Sheka Latifah is

28:14

receiving the necessary care and support she

28:17

requires. This statement

28:19

was met with some scepticism. Mary

28:21

Robinson joins us now, good morning. Good

28:23

morning. A few days later, Mary

28:25

Robinson made an appearance on BBC Radio to

28:27

promote her book about climate change. But

28:29

the interviewer, Michelle Hussein, changed the subject.

28:32

I want to ask you about some

28:34

pictures that were released just in the

28:36

last few days of you in Dubai

28:38

with Sheka Latifah, one of the daughters

28:40

of Dubai's ruler, who

28:42

reportedly tried to escape abroad

28:44

earlier this year and was

28:46

forcibly returned. Why were you

28:48

seen with her? How did that come about? I

28:51

was asked by Princess Haya, whom I've known for

28:53

a long time, who's also known for her marriage.

28:55

Mary Robinson said that she visited the family at

28:58

the request of her friend, Princess Haya. Princess

29:00

Haya was Sheikh Mohammed's sixth and youngest

29:03

wife, Latifah's stepmother. She

29:05

said that Haya had asked her for help with what

29:07

she called a family dilemma. And

29:09

the dilemma was that Latifah is vulnerable,

29:11

she's troubled, she made a video

29:14

that she now

29:16

regrets. Haya had them both

29:18

over to lunch so that Mary Robinson could meet

29:20

Latifah. She's a very likeable

29:23

young woman but clearly troubled, clearly

29:25

needs the medical care that she's

29:27

receiving. You can hear Mary Robinson

29:30

trying to steer the interview back to her book

29:32

about climate and Michelle Hussein not having any of

29:34

it. We talked about climate actually

29:36

because I had given a book, a copy of my climate

29:38

book, to Princess Haya. I just want to ask you about

29:40

what she said in her video, which is seen around the

29:42

world, was that she was in prison for three

29:44

years and tortured repeatedly on her

29:46

return. Michelle Hussein questioned

29:49

whether Mary Robinson can have made a

29:51

realistic assessment of Latifah's welfare when the Princess

29:53

was surrounded by the very family she had

29:55

accused of imprisoning her. wasn't

30:00

with our wider family. She was with

30:02

Princess Hyah and some of Princess Hyah's

30:04

younger family and two

30:06

other people. It wasn't a big number. I was

30:09

very aware of her father. Yes,

30:11

I was very aware of how troubled

30:14

she appeared to be. Mary Robinson

30:16

said Latifah chatted with Hyah's young children

30:19

and they talked about skydiving. We

30:22

talked about climate change and I mentioned that I would

30:24

be back in Dubai in

30:26

early March because my book is promoting

30:28

it at the Emirates Literary

30:31

Festival. I also sent a report that

30:37

evening to

30:40

Michelle Bachelet, the current High Commissioner for

30:42

Human Rights. Michelle Bachelet

30:44

was Mary Robinson's successor at the UN

30:47

and Mary Robinson says she assured the High

30:49

Commissioner that Latifah was in the loving care

30:51

of her family. I think you have

30:53

to bear in mind that this is a troubled young woman

30:55

who has a serious medical

30:58

situation she's receiving, psychiatric

31:00

care, and they

31:03

don't want her to endure any more publicity. In

31:06

later interviews Robinson said that she'd been told

31:08

that Latifah suffered from bipolar disorder and that

31:10

she didn't know how to talk with somebody who had

31:12

that condition. So she didn't

31:14

ask Latifah about her escape or what

31:16

her life was like now. She said,

31:19

quote, I really didn't actually

31:21

want to talk to her and increase the

31:23

trauma over a nice lunch. The

31:26

photographs of the lunch were published in newspapers around

31:29

the world. In the pictures

31:31

Robinson is smiling but Latifah isn't.

31:34

She looks dazed and pale, hunched

31:36

over in a dark hoodie. She's

31:39

not looking at the camera. Latifah's

31:41

friends were relieved to see that she was alive

31:43

but she didn't look okay. And if she was

31:46

okay, why hadn't they heard from her? The

31:50

silence stretched on. Tina

31:56

told me that she used to get a lot of messages on Facebook

31:58

about Latifah. People would reach

32:01

out to ask about her or to offer to help. There

32:04

were hoaxes, people pretending to be Latifah.

32:07

But one day, a year after

32:09

Latifah's abduction, Tina got

32:11

a message that seemed different. It

32:13

was like, are you Tina? Then,

32:16

you know, these security questions, like

32:19

what did she give you at the birthday present

32:21

and here or so and so. And

32:23

I just went like, oh my God, oh my God. Tina

32:26

gave the person the right answers about

32:29

the birthday present and Latifah's nicknames and

32:32

the sender wrote. I'm

32:34

sorry, I'm shaking now, Ms. Tina. I'm

32:37

scared to help Ms. Latifah, but

32:39

she's very kind to me. And

32:41

then the writer sent a photo of

32:44

a letter from Latifah. That's

32:58

next time on The Runaway Princesses. The

33:14

Runaway Princesses was written and produced by Catherine Winter and Heidi

33:16

Blake. It

33:19

was edited by Samara Fremark, Willing Davidson, and me,

33:21

Madeline Barron. Sound

33:24

designed by Chris Julin and Samara Fremark, with original music by

33:26

Chris J. Our art is by Malika Favre. Additional

33:29

editing and production by Natalie Jablonski.

33:31

Fact checking by Elan Warner and Theresa Matthew.

33:36

Art direction by Aviva Michalov. Legal

33:38

review by Fabio Bertoni and Camisha Laurie. Our

33:41

managing editor is Julia Ralph-Pald.

33:44

The head of global audio for Kanye Nast is

33:46

Chris Bannon. The editor of The New Yorker is

33:48

David Remnick. The

33:57

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