作者： admin

A comprehensive digital scrubbing campaign has targeted references to Emirati official Hind al-Owais across multiple government-affiliated platforms following revelations of her correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Middle East Eye’s investigation reveals systematic removal of her professional presence from official accounts and websites.

Al-Owais, who served as director of the UAE’s Permanent Committee for Human Rights (PCHR), has seen her mentions systematically erased from the organization’s Instagram, X, and LinkedIn accounts, along with its official website. This includes recent posts identifying her as PCHR director from early February 2025 and references to her participation in the 6th Global Tolerance and Human Fraternity Conference in Dubai.

The digital purge extends beyond social media to institutional websites. The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) removed a page detailing Owais’ role as moderator of a February 2025 panel discussion on human rights. Her profile page from the World Governments Summit, where she was listed as a past speaker, now redirects to the homepage.

According to released US Department of Justice files, Owais exchanged numerous emails with Epstein between 2010-2012, following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The correspondence reveals friendly exchanges, meeting arrangements, and career advice requests, including one message where Owais asked Epstein to “teach me how to make money.”

The emails reference meetings with an unidentified “His Highness” – an honorific typically reserved for senior members of Emirati ruling families. While no evidence suggests Owais participated in criminal activity, the communications indicate they maintained close acquaintanceship.

This development follows recent scrutiny of UAE-Epstein connections, including last week’s replacement of prominent businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem from leadership positions after revelations of his decades-long relationship with Epstein.

Emirati social media personalities have launched a defense campaign, characterizing the interactions as normal professional networking. Ahmed Sharif al-Ameri stated that “professional contact is not criminal participation” and contextualized the informal tone of messages as standard business communication practices.

Neither PCHR, UAE foreign ministry, AGDA, nor the World Governments Summit responded to requests for comment regarding the digital removals.

In a striking declaration on French radio, President Emmanuel Macron asserted that French-Israeli nationals remain “children of France” who should never face accusations of genocide participation. Speaking to Radio J, a station focused on Jewish community affairs, Macron positioned the battle against antisemitism as fundamental to republican values, stating: “We cannot accept, we must never accept that any of our children, that any French person, be accused of being genocidal. That is impossible, and it represents a reversal of values to which we must not yield.”

The president indirectly criticized pro-Palestinian activists and leftist figures in France, suggesting they had “distorted what is happening internationally to try to dehumanise, essentialise fellow Jewish citizens.” These remarks followed last month’s adoption of a controversial bill by the French National Assembly Law Committee targeting “renewed forms of antisemitism,” which critics argue could criminalize legitimate criticism of Israel.

Macron’s comments emerge amidst significant legal developments. On February 3rd, French authorities issued judicial warrants for two Franco-Israeli women—Nili Kupfer-Naouri (leader of Israel Is Forever) and Rachel Touitou (affiliated with far-right group Tsav 9)—compelling them to appear before an investigating magistrate on “complicity in genocide” charges related to obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza. The warrants stop short of ordering arrests.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese challenged Macron’s stance on social media platform X, asserting: “We do not label someone a criminal or a genocidaire based on their nationality: it is up to the courts to decide. Any person who has served in an army suspected of committing crimes can be subject to an investigation.”

The case against the two women originated from complaints filed by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights along with Al-Haq and Al-Mezan rights groups, targeting dual nationals allegedly obstructing aid convoys between 2023-2025. Notably, the U.S. State Department designated Tzav 9 in June 2024 as a “violent extremist Israeli group” blocking humanitarian assistance.

Further legal actions are underway, with NGOs filing additional complaints against two French-Israeli soldiers (identified as Sasha A and Gabriel B H) for alleged “war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide” involving dozens of unarmed Palestinian civilian deaths outside combat zones. Despite Israel’s exemption of overseas dual nationals from mandatory service, military data reveals over 6,100 French nationals voluntarily served during the conflict period.