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Tayeb Benabderrahmane (born 1981) is a Franco-Algerian consultant, public affairs actor, and human rights claimant. He is known for a prolonged detention in Qatar (2020), a subsequent ICSID arbitration (Case ARB/22/23), and a 2025 decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Benabderrahmane served as a general adviser to Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, then chairman of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), where he oversaw external relations and advocacy initiatives. [8] [5]
Benabderrahmane allegedly possessed or controlled documents and electronic files that Qatar considered politically or commercially sensitive, particularly in the context of issues relating to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. [3] [4] [9] [5] [10] [11] [12] [13]
On 13 January 2020, Benabderrahmane was arrested in Doha by Qatari security forces. [10] [11] [12] [14] According to a later United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) opinion, he was taken from his residence, had his electronic devices and documents seized, and was held incommunicado for several weeks without access to a lawyer, interpreter, or consular support. [9] [8] [5] [7]
After the initial prison confinement, he was placed under house arrest (effectively in a hotel) and, in July 2020, forced to sign a confidentiality or settlement agreement under duress. [9] [12] That agreement reportedly required him to surrender the documents and electronic files that Qatari authorities deemed sensitive. [9] [12] Following the forced agreement, he was released and deported from Qatar to France in late 2020. [3] [9] [12]
After returning to France, Benabderrahmane filed a criminal complaint against Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Qatari president of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), alleging kidnapping, unlawful confinement, torture, and extortion in relation to his arrest and detention in Qatar in 2020. [3] [4] [9] [15] [16] [17] In 2023, French law enforcement conducted raids in Paris, including searches at the offices of legal advisors and at the town hall of the 7th arrondissement (then headed by Rachida Dati). [3] [4] [9] In July 2023, the Paris residence of Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was also searched in relation to the investigations. [3] [4] [5] Al-Khelaifi denies the accusations and has himself filed a complaint. [15] [16]
In 2022, Benabderrahmane initiated investment arbitration proceedings against the State of Qatar under the 1996 France–Qatar Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The case was registered as ICSID Case. [1] [6] [18]
In Procedural Order No. 3, the tribunal ordered Qatar to produce internal documents and records concerning his arrest, search warrants, interrogations, and detention measures records that had never been handed over to him at the time of his detention. The tribunal treated such documents as material to assessing alleged breaches of fair and equitable treatment obligations under the BIT. [8]
As of 2025, the arbitration remains ongoing, with further orders being issued on procedural and substantive matters. [8]
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