Abdullah Ibhais, a whistleblower in the 2022 World Cup human trafficking case, has been arrested in Jordan just two weeks before his scheduled testimony in a US District Court. His arrest raises serious concerns about the implications for his advocacy regarding workers' rights in Qatar.

Ibhais, a Jordanian national, previously spent three years in a Doha prison following what Amnesty International termed an “unfair trial.” He claims he was investigating workers' rights violations when he became the target of a malicious prosecution. FairSquare asserts that Ibhais provided substantial evidence to support his claims.

In April 2021, he was convicted on charges including “bribery” and “intentional damage to public funds,” leading to a five-year sentence, which was reduced, allowing his release on 11 March 2025. However, his situation has worsened following his recent abduction by the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) in Amman, in front of his children, without an arrest warrant or access to legal representation.

Ibhais was set to give a voluntary deposition in the United States on 20 August, having received his visa on 6 August. His family alleges that he has faced threats of imprisonment from GID officers if he continued his advocacy regarding workers' conditions in Qatar.

Previous attempts to apprehend Ibhais occurred in May, and his passport was confiscated for two months to prevent him from attending a deposition in Norway. He also missed a meeting with Massachusetts congressman James McGovern and was unable to participate in the Oslo Freedom Forum earlier this month.