A whistleblower who raised serious concerns about workers’ rights and alleged abuses surrounding the 2022 Qatar World Cup has reportedly been arrested in Jordan, just two weeks before he was due to give evidence in a major US court case.
Abdullah Ibhais, a Jordanian national and former communications official connected to Qatar’s World Cup preparations, was reportedly detained in Amman by Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID).
The arrest has raised fresh concerns because Ibhais was scheduled to testify on August 20 in a case involving allegations of forced labour and human trafficking connected to preparations for the 2022 tournament.
According to reporting by The Independent, the timing of his arrest could now put his planned testimony in jeopardy.
Abdullah Ibhais had been due to testify in the US
Ibhais has spent years speaking publicly about workers’ rights and conditions surrounding Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup.
His involvement dates back to 2021, when he reportedly investigated complaints concerning the treatment of workers involved in preparations for the tournament.
However, his advocacy eventually resulted in his own legal troubles in Qatar.
Ibhais was convicted of offences including bribery, violation of the integrity of tenders and profit, and intentional damage to public funds. He was sentenced to five years in prison and spent approximately three years behind bars.
Amnesty International previously described his trial as unfair.
His sentence was eventually reduced, and he was released from prison on March 11, 2025.
Now, more than a year after his release, Ibhais has once again become the subject of international attention.
Arrest reportedly happened in front of his children
The circumstances surrounding his latest detention have added another layer to the controversy.
Ibhais’ family reportedly said that he was taken away in front of his two children after being “abducted from the mosque”.
They also claim that, to their knowledge, no arrest warrant was presented.
His family has further alleged that lawyers have not been allowed to make contact with him since his detention.
The development is particularly significant because Ibhais had been subpoenaed to provide evidence in a US District Court case in Colorado.
With his testimony scheduled for August 20, his sudden arrest has created uncertainty over whether he will be able to appear before the court.
Qatar World Cup worker conditions remain controversial
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar generated huge international attention long before the first ball was kicked.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the tournament concerned the treatment of migrant workers involved in the construction of stadiums and other infrastructure.
Human rights organisations and international media repeatedly raised concerns over working conditions, labour rights and the treatment of migrant workers.
The Guardian reported in 2021 that thousands of migrant workers had died in Qatar over the previous decade, although the figure was not limited solely to World Cup construction projects.
Ibhais became one of the prominent figures speaking about workers’ conditions in connection with the tournament.
His case subsequently became part of the wider debate over how Qatar handled criticism of its preparations for the World Cup.
Family claims he had previously faced pressure
Ibhais’ family has also alleged that the latest arrest was not an isolated incident.
They claim GID officers had previously searched his home in May.
His passport was also reportedly confiscated for two months earlier in 2026.
According to his family, the passport issue prevented Ibhais from participating in an earlier deposition that had been scheduled to take place virtually through the US Embassy in Norway on May 30.
They have also alleged that Ibhais had previously been threatened with imprisonment by GID officers if he continued campaigning over his legal case or the conditions faced by workers in Qatar.
Those claims have yet to be fully resolved and remain allegations made by Ibhais’ family.
What happens to his US testimony?
The biggest immediate question is whether Ibhais will still be able to provide evidence in the US case.
His deposition is scheduled for August 20, meaning the arrest comes just days before he was expected to appear as a witness.
The court had reportedly issued a subpoena requiring him to provide testimony.
Whether the deposition proceeds will depend on the circumstances surrounding his detention and any legal developments that follow.
The case could therefore attract significant attention in the coming weeks, particularly given Ibhais’ history as a whistleblower and the international scrutiny that surrounded Qatar’s World Cup preparations.
The 2022 tournament remains one of the most controversial World Cups in football history, with questions over human rights, migrant workers and the decision to award Qatar the competition continuing years after Argentina lifted the trophy in Lusail.
Ibhais’ latest arrest has now brought those long-running issues back into the spotlight.
With his US court appearance less than two weeks away, attention will turn to whether the whistleblower is released in time to give the evidence he was subpoenaed to provide.
