Criminal case is opened over death of migrant worker during Qatar World Cup

Qatari authorities have opened criminal proceedings against the employer of a Filipino migrant worker who died at a World Cup training base during the tournament last year.

Salam Petroleum is being investigated after the worker, named only as Alexander, fell when fixing a set of lights at Sealine Beach resort, which hosted the Saudi Arabia national team during Qatar 2022. A court will now consider the case after it was initiated by Qatar’s public prosecution.

It follows an earlier investigation into the circumstances of the worker’s death, which was not made public until some days after the incident. He is understood to have slipped off a ramp while walking alongside a forklift truck on a private road within the resort. There were unverified suggestions in the aftermath that he may not have been wearing a safety harness at the time, and that a third worker was not present to assist with the task.

The Qatari government confirmed to the Guardian: “The case has been referred from the public prosecution to the criminal court after a full investigation was completed, including witness testimony and a review of all technical and medical reports.”

The Guardian understands Salam Petroleum is implicated in the case.

Senior personnel were unavailable when the Guardian visited Salam Petroleum’s offices in Doha and did not respond to a request for contact. A visit to the resort, 25 miles south of the Qatari capital, brought a promise that management would make contact but this has not been fulfilled.

No timeline has been given for an outcome to the case. In December, a government official said of the initial probe: “If the investigation concludes that safety protocols were not followed, the company will be subject to legal action