Princess Haya is reported to have left her husband of 15 years, Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, and to have sought political asylum in Germany

Human-rights campaigners who have supported Princess Latifa of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have urged Princess Haya, her stepmother, to speak out about conditions in Dubai after she reportedly fled to Germany.

Princess Haya, a long-time friend of Mary Robinson, the former Irish president, is reported to have left Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, her husband and the prime minister of the UAE, and sought political asylum in Germany.

In January, Haya, who worked in stud farms in Ireland in the 1990s, spoke on RTE Radio defending the way her stepdaughter, Latifa, was being treated in Dubai. This followed Latifa’s attempt to escape from the UAE in a yacht, which was foiled by armed forces.

Haya arranged for Robinson to fly to Dubai