Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s royal family whose plight has captivated the world since a daring attempt at escaping her father across the Indian Ocean, appears to have been photographed in public for the first time in years.
In a picture posted to Instagram two days ago by Sioned Taylor, a former member of the British Royal Navy, and another user, Latifa is seated with two women at a cafe table in what Taylor identified as Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates.
While Instagram posts do not include metadata, which would show the date and time the photograph was taken, a cinema in the background carries advertising for the film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which was released in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 13.
Friends of the princess told the BBC that the photograph was legitimate.
The now 35-year-old Latifa fled Dubai in 2018, accusing her father, Emir Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, of years of abuse.
She and a friend left for Oman by vehicle, then used jet skis to join a yacht to sail across the Indian Ocean to Goa, India.
She was forcibly returned to the UAE eight days after her escape when at least eight Indian and 10 UAE special forces members intercepted the vessel off the coast of India using unmarked speedboats and a helicopter.
The princess is believed to have been held against her will since then on the orders of the sheikh, who is also prime minister of the UAE.
Sheikh Mohammed has said that the raid on the yacht was a rescue mission, and has consistently rejected allegations of abuse against at least two of his 25 children.
The picture’s publication led to speculation over how, why and when it was released. Last month, the UN said that the UAE had failed to provide compelling proof that Latifa is still alive.
The princess has not been heard from since mid-February, when she recorded videos shared with media in which she said that she was being held as a hostage and feared for her life.
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