Three security guards at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have been jailed for four months after being arrested while trying to resolve a dispute over unpaid pay.
Human rights group Equidem found Pakistan's Shakir Ulah and Zafar Iqbal in prison after being sentenced to six months in prison and a $2,700 fine. The three security guards were fired by local private company Stark Security Services the day after the World Cup final on December 18 last year, with two months left on their contracts.
Equidem director Mustafa Qadri called for their immediate release, saying they were punished after demanding what they deserved. "This is the real cost of FIFA's reckless disregard for the rights of people who help them generate huge profits," Kadri said. Qatar, by the way, has not commented on the incident.
Hundreds of Stark Security employees whose contracts were cancelled after the World Cup ended have reportedly been expelled by Qatar. Employees who spoke to the British newspaper The Guardian claimed that Stark Security stopped serving them food after their contracts ended, with one claiming they were threatened to leave the property. About 200 office employees were involved in protests against the mass layoffs in January.
A spokesman for the Qatari government's international communications office told the Guardian that the security company would be punished after an investigation found it did not comply with the country's labor laws, but claimed that "a decision was quickly reached between the company and its employees, according to which the workers would be rewarded for their services and their contracts were signed in accordance with the specified terms."
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A FIFA spokesperson also said FIFA was aware of cases in which private security companies providing services for the FIFA World Cup were alleged to have failed to meet World Cup standards. "We consider any instances of non-compliance with these standards unacceptable and are actively monitoring these allegations with our colleagues in Qatar."
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