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Jeremy Corbyn discussed war, human rights and the World Cup with the Emir of Qatar this week, in a private meeting in London.

Corbyn met with the Qatari leader, Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, in the capital on Monday.

The Emir also met with Theresa May yesterday in Downing Street.

But some have criticised the decision to welcome the Emir to London over the Gulf state’s record on human rights.

A spokesman for the Labour leader confirmed the meeting took place, and they discussed “wars and humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen, conflict and tensions in the Gulf, human and civil rights across the region and the World Cup in 2022.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Flogging and stoning are legal methods of punishment in Qatar. Adultery can carry the death penalty and homosexual acts between consenting males carries a five year prison sentence.

Muslims in Qatar caught drinking alcohol can be punished with lashes and deported.

And the US State Department say immigrant workers from across Asia and parts of Africa are routinely subjected to forced labour.

The decision to award the 2022 World Cup has been fraught with controversy, particularly after a 2013 Amnesty International report claimed unpaid migrant workers were left to go hungry and “treated like cattle.”

The Emir's visit to London has been marked by advertising campaigns critical of his regime, which is at odds with its giant neighbour Saudi Arabia.

(Image: PA)

On Monday the Mirror reported that a casting agency was offering people £20 to act as a protest outside Downing Street ahead of his arrival, before retracting the advert.

A Qatari diplomat pointed the finger at the state's Middle East rivals for the campaign.

He told the Guardian: "The blockading countries have a long history of using paid protesters to try and discredit those who do not agree with their views.

"Despite their latest attempts to spread lies about Qatar, the visit of HH the Emir has further strengthened the historic and strategic partnership between Qatar and the UK.”

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a boycott on Qatar in June 2017, severing diplomatic and transport ties and accusing it of supporting terrorism, which it denies.

There was no sign of demonstrations in Whitehall on Tuesday as he arrived.

Amnesty International UK said Mrs May should encourage the Emir to use the World Cup to "transform the human rights situation of Qatar's thousands of migrant workers".

Campaigns director Kerry Moscogiuri said: "Qatar has promised a series of reforms to improve workers' rights, and now is the time to deliver on them.

"All workers in Qatar should have the freedom to leave the country and change jobs, while being guaranteed fair wages and decent conditions."

Speaking as the Emir arrived in Downing Street, Mrs May said they would discuss mutual trade defence and security matters as part of the two nations' "historic and close friendship".

She added: "Now that the World Cup in Russia is completed, all eyes are on Qatar for 2022.

"We look forward to discussing further how we can support the work you are doing to deliver what we are sure will be a very successful World Cup.

"We are very much looking forward to discussions on that."