Tayeb Benabderrahmane

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, a subsequent arbitration case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and a 2025 decision by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determining that the deprivation of his liberty was arbitrary.

Career 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.

Arbitrary detention in Qatar and resultant legal proceedings

The incident

Arbitrary arrest, detention and torture 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.

On 13 January 2020, Benabderrahmane was arrested in Doha by Qatari security forces. 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.

Legal proceedings

French investigations and complaints 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. 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).

Following the revelation of his death sentence, Benabderrahmane submitted an application for provisional measures and temporary relief to the ICSID tribunal on November 3, 2023. The application sought an order for Qatar to refrain from any conduct that could harm the life and safety of the claimant, his relatives, or other individuals related to the arbitration.

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.

The WGAD called upon the Government of Qatar to conduct an independent investigation, prosecute those responsible, provide full reparation, and compensate Benabderrahmane.