German chancellor says Qatar rights improving

Doha, Qatar (AFP):

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that Qatar’s rights record is improving but did not commit to attending this year’s World Cup where his country will be one of the top contenders.

After talks with the emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, at the end of a two-day Gulf tour, Scholz said his government would send a representative for the World Cup but would only decide later who.

Scholz told reporters that Qatar has made “a lot of investment” in the 32-nation football gala that starts on November 20.

Qatar has faced widespread criticism over its record on labour rights at the huge infrastructure projects, and also on LGBTQ rights.

But it says that much of the criticism is unfair and that major reforms have changed conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers.

German players posed just ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Iceland in March last year in t-shirts each daubed with a single letter that together spelt the words “human rights”.

German supporters’ groups have also criticised Qatar but the national football federation has rejected calls to boycott the event, pointing to reforms carried out in the past few years.