Naturopath Barbara O’Neill questioned in Qatar, allowed to leave

Australian health educator recounts late-night questioning before joining husband in Dubai

Australian naturopath and health educator Barbara O’Neill has said she was questioned by authorities in Qatar before being allowed to continue her travels and return to Dubai.

O’Neill, who has an international following for her talks on nutrition, natural remedies and lifestyle-based approaches to health, recounted the incident in a video posted on her official Instagram account.

She said the episode began at around 9pm when she was preparing to go to bed.

According to O’Neill, several officials arrived at her accommodation and one identified himself as being from Qatar’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). She was told that she needed to accompany them to a police station.

O’Neill said a policewoman accompanied her while she changed before she was taken to the station.

Describing the experience as “incredibly unnerving”, O’Neill said she became emotional while being questioned.

“I did cry,” she recalled, saying an officer asked why she was crying and pointed out that nobody had hurt her.

O’Neill said she responded that she had “done nothing wrong”.

She said she was questioned for nearly an hour before being told that she could return to her hotel rather than remain at the police station overnight.

O’Neill was instructed to report back at 7am the following morning.

She said she returned as directed and spent about five hours at the station while the matter was considered by legal officials.

According to O’Neill, she later appeared before the head prosecutor with two lawyers present and was informed that there was no restriction preventing her from travelling.

“They said, no, you don’t have a ban. You can travel,” she recalled.

O’Neill subsequently left Qatar and returned to Dubai, where she joined her husband, Michael.

Source Gulf News