The Qatari government will argue sovereign immunity to quash a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by a group of Australian women who were subjected to invasive gynaecological searches at Hamad airport.
The women were removed from flights in Doha allegedly at gunpoint, with some intimately searched without explanation or consent, after authorities found a newborn baby abandoned at Hamad Airport in 2020.
Out of the 18 Australian women involved in the incident, five are suing the Qatari government for assault and battery. It is believed to be the first time the Qatari government, which owns both the QCAA and Qatar Airways, has used the defence in commercial litigation in Australia. Sovereign immunity refers to a principle of international law that states a national government cannot be prosecuted for crimes or sued without its consent.
The case will return to court on May 8, which will allow the women time to reply to the immunity defence.
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