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Qatar 'regrets' invasive searches of female passengers at Doha airport

Qatar said it "regrets any distress or infringement on the personal freedoms of any traveler" - GETTY IMAGES
Qatar said it "regrets any distress or infringement on the personal freedoms of any traveler" - GETTY IMAGES

Qatar has expressed its "regret" over the invasive examination of female passengers during a search for the mother of a baby abandoned in a lavatory at Doha airport.

During the incident earlier this month, at least a dozen women were removed from a Qatar Airways flight bound for Sydney and allegedly forced to undergo vaginal inspections, as authorities tried to identify the mother of the prematurely born infant.

"While the aim of the urgently-decided search was to prevent the perpetrators of the horrible crime from escaping, the State of Qatar regrets any distress or infringement on the personal freedoms of any traveller caused by this action," a statement posted on the Qatar government's website said.

The statement added that a "comprehensive, transparent" investigation would be carried out, and that Qatar was "committed to ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all travellers transiting through the country".

The investigation was ordered by Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the prime minister and interior minister of Qatar. Airport officials say the baby is safe and was being looked after by social workers.

The incident has sparked a diplomatic row between Australia and Qatar, with Canberra lodging protests with the Middle East nation over the treatment of its citizens.

Australia's Transport Workers Union has threatened to boycott Qatar Airways over the examinations, with a vote due to be held on Thursday.

And on Wednesday, it emerged that the number of planes targeted was much greater than first thought.

The incident has provoked a dispute between Australia and Qatar - GETTY IMAGES
The incident has provoked a dispute between Australia and Qatar - GETTY IMAGES

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne told parliament women on "10 aircraft in total" had been subject to the searches she has described as "grossly disturbing" and "offensive".

Ms Payne said 18 women, including 13 Australians and reportedly one French citizen, on an October 2 flight to Sydney were affected.

The incident risks damaging Qatar's efforts to improve its reputation before the Gulf state hosts the football World Cup in 2022.

Doha has invested heavily in its airline, the broadcaster Al-Jazeera and social projects that include women's health and educational initiatives.

But the conservative Muslim monarchy, where sex and childbirth out of wedlock are still punishable by jail terms, has struggled to reassure critics that its promises on women's rights, labour relations and democracy are credible.