The head of Amnesty International Ireland says a simple lunch between Mary Robinson and the daughter of the ruler of Dubai shouldn't dismiss the grave concerns around the treatment of the Emirati princess.
Photos of her meeting earlier this month with Sheikha Latifa were released last week, with Mrs Robinson subsequently criticised by activists concerned for the princess' welfare - describing the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a 'willing pawn' for the family that controls the country.
Up to that point the princess hadn't been seen since March of this year, when a second attempt to flee the Arab state failed.
Colm O'Gorman says the treatment of Sheikha Latifa is worrying:
"This intervention from Mary Robinson is the first we have heard of Latifa since (March)
"We have to assess this case based on what we know and a lunch with anybody - I don't care who they are - doesn't dismiss the very grave concerns that surround this case and this young woman and her human rights"