The Doha Criminal Court of Appeal will hold a hearing this week to review the initial verdict against internet activist Umm Nasser. Reliable reports received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) confirm that she continues to suffer ill-treatment and a lack of healthcare in the Doha Capital Security Department prison.

On 22 April 2025, the Criminal Court of Appeal will hold a hearing to review the initial verdict against her. Informed sources have confirmed that her defense team will not play a major role due to the intimidation and fear exerted by the authorities.

On 20 March 2025, the Criminal Court sentenced internet activist Umm Nasser to three years in prison and a fine of 50,000 Qatari Riyals.

For more information about her case, click here.

In addition, the targeting she faced, including her arrest and prison sentence, led to her mother’s sudden death in March 2025. She was not informed of this until much later, denying her the right to participate in the funeral ceremonies.

Her two children, aged five and six, were also prevented from visiting her in prison, a clear violation of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules).

The authorities also denied her the right to pursue her various businesses, leading to their closure and the loss of her savings from previous years of work.

Recommendations

GCHR calls on the relevant authorities to immediately and unconditionally release internet activist Umm Nasser and drop all charges against her.

The Qatari government must respect the fundamental rights of citizens and residents, especially since the Qatari government signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in 2018. These rights include freedom of expression online and offline, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom to form associations and trade unions independent of the government, and freedom of movement within and outside the country.